


Finally, Beautiful Stranger

by runicmagitek



Series: Aerti Week 2020 [7]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Meet-Cute, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, and aerith is a persistent flirt, tifa is a clueless mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:07:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 35,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26683432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runicmagitek/pseuds/runicmagitek
Summary: Aerith,she mused while weaving through the back alley to the rear entrance.What a nice girl. I hope she likes it here. It’s not much, but… well, it’s home for us.She ignored the blush warming her cheeks.I hope it’s home for her, too.A new girl has moved to the small town of Nibelheim and is opening a flower shop right next to the local tavern, Seventh Heaven. And Tifa can't help but notice more than the lovely flowers on display, especially when the owner is gorgeous herself.But therealquestion is who's winning the bet on whether or not Tifa makes the first move: Biggs or Jessie?Or: Five Times Tifa wasjust trying to be nicepining for Aerith and one time she didn't need to anymore.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart
Series: Aerti Week 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932154
Comments: 108
Kudos: 270





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7 - warm tones | crossovers and AUs | love language | _vorfreude_ : the joyful, intense anticipation that comes from imagining future pleasures
> 
> So my hand slipped and the final day's prompt turned into A Thing. If all goes well, I'm hoping to update daily, if not every other day, so stay tuned for some florist/bartender modern AU cuteness!

She never noticed the building was occupied until the flowers appeared in the window. The regulars at Seventh Heaven made mention of someone showing interest in the abandoned place, but she dismissed their drunken ramblings. Nibelheim was a small town; everyone knew each other and few popped in as passing strangers en route to grander tourist traps, let alone settle down as a neighbor. And yet she walked by the place next to her tavern daily, oblivious to the gradual refurbishments and lack of dust.

Until the flowers, of course.

Tifa slowed her steps and paused in front of the window. White lilies overflowed from a vase, purer than the snow in the mountains. Tifa leaned closer, wishing she could inhale whatever crisp scent they held. _I_ _’ve never seen lilies that white before,_ she mused. _They_ _’re gorgeous._

Then someone from inside approached the window and added more flowers to the display. An assortment of tulips and orchids, but it was the woman handling them that captured Tifa.

The late morning sun caught in the brown hair framing her face. Loose curls contained in a red bandana swayed while she worked. Her smile—pink lips matching her sundress—never faded as she fussed with individual flowers to perfect the arrangements. Once satisfied, she stood and clapped her hands clean. Finally her eyes flicked up and locked with Tifa’s—that radiant, green gaze outshined any gem Tifa ever witnessed.

She bounced, grinned, and waved from behind the window. Tifa stared for a second too long before she remembered to crack a smile and wave back, albeit a touch awkward. _She seems nice,_ Tifa thought. _I wonder who she is?_

As if hearing a whisper of those thoughts, the other woman walked through the front door—a delicate bell chiming from inside—and approached Tifa.

“Hey there!” she said, as spirited as the bounce in her steps. “Can I help you at all? The shop’s not officially opened yet, but if something catches your eye, I’d be happy to work something out!”

Tifa blinked. “Um… no, I think I’m alright for now, but thank you.”

What was she to do with a bunch of flowers? The decor in Seventh Heaven was rustic brick and metal paired with local, eclectic artisan wares. Nothing sophisticated, let alone cohesive. Flowers were bound to be out of place next to liquors and mismatched memorabilia. Or if she took them home, every available surface was already occupied with pictures or appliances or other trinkets she couldn’t easily stow away. Even if there _was_ room, would the poor things last more than a day? Tifa quirked her lips at the thought.

The woman, however, didn’t waver at Tifa’s response. “Not a problem! If you ever change your mind, well—” She gestured to the building. “—you know where to find me!”

“You said you weren’t open yet. Are you going to soon?”

“Hopefully by the end of the week, depending on how some finishing touches go.”

“Best of luck with that.” Tifa briefly chewed her lower lip. “Um… if you ever need anything, I run the tavern next door—” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder, where Seventh Heaven stood. “Just stop on by and ask for Tifa.”

She leaned to the side, curly hair spilling from her shoulder. Green eyes widened along with her smile. “That’s _your_ place?!”

Tifa ignored the heat in her cheeks. “Y-yeah.” She fussed with several locks that had fallen from behind her ear. “I took over for my dad when he couldn’t stay on his feet all day. We’re open for lunch and dinner, so if you ever want a drink or some quick bar chow, the doors are open.” _Not like there_ _’s anywhere else for that here,_ Tifa opted to leave out. _Unless you want to leave town._

“Wow, I’ve been smelling nothing but bacon grease when I leave for the day. Now I know why!” She smirked. “Hope it’s as good as it smells.”

“Only one way to find out,” Tifa tried to tease back.

At least she laughed. “Well, I’m sold!” Her smile faded. “Not sure when I’ll have time to visit.” She paused. “Or the funds to spare. Everything’s kind of… you know, gone into the shop.”

“Hey, not to worry. The place isn’t going anywhere any time soon, so do what works for you.”

Her lips curled up, though the initial excitement was lost. “Thanks! I appreciate that. I’m still getting my bearings. Only moved into town a week ago.”

“A week ago?” Tifa echoed. _Yeesh, how did I miss a newcomer settling into this neck of the woods?_ “You not from around here?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Couldn’t afford to stay in Midgar, so I packed my stuff and decided to start over.”

“You came from _Midgar_?!”

“Yeah,” she drew out, kicking her leather combat boots along the curb, “nothing too glamorous, but—” She shook her head. “Oh, I don’t want to bore you with that! Plus I’m probably holding you up for work.”

True, there were a handful of tasks awaiting Tifa’s attention before the lunch rush filtered in, but anxiety never plagued her thoughts. And yet her heart still skipped. “Not a problem. Besides, if we’re going to be neighbors, the least I can do is say hi and welcome you.”

“Well then!” She swore those green eyes scanned over her, lingering here and there. “I definitely consider myself welcomed. Oh!” She extended a hand. “I’m Aerith, by the way. Almost forgot to introduce myself.”

Tifa slipped a hand into hers for a firm shake. “Name’s Tifa.”

Aerith winked. “The one I can ask for if I need anything, right?”

Tifa hesitated, then cracked a smile. “Yeah. That’s me.”

“Perfect!” Releasing Tifa’s hand, Aerith stepped backwards to her shop’s front door. “Thanks for stopping by to chat. Hope your day goes well!”

Instead of waving goodbye and finishing the remainder of her short work commute, Tifa stared at her. A new transplant, a fresh face from the city, of all places. She could have picked anywhere to start up a florist shop, yet she picked Nibelheim—beside Tifa’s tavern.

“Um, Aerith?”

She paused in the entrance, leaning out to meet Tifa’s gaze. “Hmm?”

Tifa rubbed her neck and glanced at the window display. “The lilies… did you grow them?”

“Of course. I grow all my flowers.”

“They’re… _really_ gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen lilies like that.”

“Oh!” Aerith perked up and rested against the door frame. “They’re native to the north, up by that skiing resort. Icicle Inn, I believe it’s called? I had some seeds from the area. They’re a bit tricky to grow down here, but I think they managed okay.”

“I don’t know much about flowers, but you did a wonderful job. If anything, seeing them in the window on my way to work made me smile.” Said smile grew on her features. “I’m excited to see what else shows up.”

Aerith blinked. The softness in her smile expanded to her eyes, even her posture. “Thank you, Tifa,” she said, as if the words were evoked from the depths of her soul.

She disappeared into her shop and resumed whatever duties demanded her attention. Tifa stood on the street and gazed in—only for a little bit. Seventh Heaven couldn’t operate without her, but watching Aerith arrange vases and ceramic pots brought a skip in her pulse.

It even livened her steps when she finally walked again.

_Aerith,_ she mused while weaving through the back alley to the rear entrance. _What a nice girl. I hope she likes it here. It_ _’s not much, but… well, it’s home for us._ She ignored the blush warming her cheeks. _I hope it_ _’s home for her, too._

Past the door, Tifa strolled through the pantry and by the walk-in fridge and freezer to emerge into Seventh Heaven proper. The ceiling fans leisurely whirled, the dated radio sputtered out folk-rock, and the staff busied themselves with prepping for their noon opening.

Biggs looked up from washing glasses. “Hey, boss! Running a bit late?”

Tifa rolled her eyes, yet smirked. “Doors aren’t open yet. I still got time.”

“Well, at least Cloud knew where the spare key was,” Jessie added as she marched by, distributing menus to every table. “Or else we’d still be waiting outside.”

Tifa winced. “Sorry about that, guys.” She slipped behind the bar, scooted past Biggs, and placed a gentle hand on Cloud’s shoulder. “Hey, thanks for that.”

He focused on cutting potatoes—for their famous poutine dish—yet nodded in reply. “Not a problem.”

“What was the hold-up, anyways?” Wedge called from around the corner, no doubt grilling up the bacon that permeated the air. “You’re never late, Tifa!”

She paused by the counter, tapping her fingers along the surface. “Well… did any of you know there’s a new shop opening up next door?”

“Yup,” everyone managed to say in unison.

Tifa’s eye twitched. “And the owner’s—”

“New to town?” Biggs nudged her in passing. “Yeah, I saw her moving stuff in a couple days ago.”

With a groan, Tifa pinched the bridge of her nose. “Why am I always the last one to hear about these kinds of things?”

“Probably the same reason why you refuse to give yourself more than a ten-minute lunch break.”

“Or a day off,” Jessie chimed in from the other end of the tavern.

“Like, _ever,_ ” Wedge added.

Tifa threw up her hands. “Alright! I get it! _Geez._ ” As she crossed her arms, she recalled the encounter with Aerith. Whatever annoyances plucked at her nerves vanished. “I was just talking with her on my way here. The owner, that is. Kind of got caught up in the moment and… yeah.”

Her team all stopped their tasks and looked at her. Tifa blinked.

“What?” she asked.

“So.” Biggs wiggled his eyebrows. “She cute?”

Tifa almost fell over. “ _What?!_ ”

“Ooo!” Jessie rushed to the counter and perched her chin on folded hands. “Was she?! Spill the beans, Tifa!”

“I don’t know! We just _talked_ —”

“Uh-huuuuh.”

“And I _wasn_ _’t_ paying attention to if she’s cute or not!”

“Well _that_ _’s_ a wasted opportunity.”

Tifa groaned. “She was nice! And her flowers are, too. And if she comes in here asking for help or anything, _do not_ give the girl a hard time, alright?! No need to be weird about it.”

Biggs and Jessie exchanged knowing looks.

“500 hundred gil says Tifa won’t ever make the first move,” Jessie said.

Tifa glared at them. “ _Hey!_ ”

Biggs grinned. “Oh, you’re on.”

“Get back to work!” Tifa perched tight fists on her hips. “This isn’t an ice cream social!”

The two snickered and scurried back to their assigned posts. As for Tifa, she yearned to slump in the walk-in fridge to scream into a keg of stout. Instead, she inhaled deeply and focused on opening the register and double-checking the day’s catering orders for pick-up.

“Tifa?” Cloud quietly said after a while.

“What’s up?” Tifa asked.

“I’m glad you had a good talk with her—the new flower girl.”

Tifa held her breath. She remembered those green eyes and the delicate dress paired with the worn leather boots and her infectious smile and her laughter and warmth and unapologetic attitude. Right next door. Always on her way to work.

Hopefully it wasn’t the only time she saw Aerith.

Tifa smiled, something small, yet heartfelt. “Yeah. Me too.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Order up! C10!”

Tifa finished stowing away clean glasses and spun to the small opening between the bar and kitchen. Wedge slid a plate onto the counter: a turkey melt with homemade fries and pickles. She peeked in to see Cloud prepping bread for more sandwiches while Wedge returned to the grill to check on his marinated steak tips. Grabbing the plate, she brought it to one of the many customers awaiting their meal.

“Here you go!” Tifa said with a smile. “Anything else I can get you?”

“Nah, I’m good for now,” the guy replied, already taking a massive bite of his steaming hot melt.

Tifa smirked; gooey cheese was always worth a few burns.

Past the full counter, she scanned the dining area. Customers occupied most of the tables, save for a few needing to be bussed. Biggs and Jessie zipped about the floor, attending every customer’s need from an extra set of napkins to a refill on drinks. Smiles on every face, as well—just as Tifa liked it.

In those lulls, Tifa gazed past the busy tavern and out the windows. Sunlight still spilled in, though crept away gradually as time ticked by. People walked the streets, most she recognized with the occasional tourist. Some lingered outside the tavern, pointed at the menu posted in the window, and chose to either chance the crowd or find a bite to eat elsewhere. _Not much else for dining,_ Tifa always mused. _Unless you consider convenience store snacks a meal._

But lately, Tifa caught a glimpse of something else. People carried colorful bundles in their arms—a splash of color against the brown and neutral tones of Nibelheim. After several days, Tifa recognized the flowers, the same ones she walked by in the store next door.

 _Good to see business is doing well,_ Tifa thought while topping a root beer with vanilla ice cream. _As it should be. Those flowers are amazing._

Tifa paused before handing the drink to Jessie. She thought of Aerith tending those flowers and her smile with each customer entering the shop. If the variety of lovely blossoms didn’t entice people, then surely her radiant personality did. Sometimes Tifa slowed her steps as she passed in the morning, contemplating a bouquet, even if she had nowhere to put it.

Just to see _her_ again. Just to—

“Hell- _oooo_?! Earth to Tifa!” Jessie waved a hand in her face. “Anyone in there?”

Tifa fluttered her eyes. “Oh! Sorry about that.” She passed the drink to Jessie. “Got lost in my thoughts for a second.”

“You? Distracted?”

“I didn’t say _that_.”

The wild smirk and cocked eyebrow said otherwise. “Whatever you say, boss.”

Tifa resisted the urge to smack her face while Jessie sauntered off. Even as she returned to manning the bar, the image of Aerith drifted into her mind more often than not. Of all the ways to make the day fly by, Tifa didn’t mind that particular distraction.

* * *

“Hey, Tifa!”

She looked up from the pile of dirty dishes she carried into the kitchen. Wedge waved a metal spatula at her.

“The trash is getting pretty full,” he called out over the sizzle of burgers and bacon, “and Cloud’s taking his break now—”

“I’ll get it,” she said. “Not to worry.”

“Thanks, Tifa! Pretty good time to do it, I think. The rush hasn’t hit yet.”

“I won’t be long.” She stacked the plates by the sink before tackling the trash. “Just a couple of bags, anyways.”

With a tied trash bag in each hand, she maneuvered through the kitchen and to the rear entrance. Tifa nudged it open with a bump of her hip, inhaling the crisp air. The leaves had yet to turn, but she recognized that autumn scent from a mile away. She hummed to herself while chucking the trash into the nearby bin.

“So nice out,” Tifa murmured, sweeping her hands overhead to stretch from side-to-side. “I might eat dinner back here if the weather holds up.” Sighing, she pivoted to the rear door. “Well, until then, back to—”

“ _Shit_!”

Tifa froze, hand inches from the doorknob. Maybe she imagined it, but the familiar tone tugged her curiosity. Shuffling to the corner of the building, she leaned in for a quick peek.

A myriad of packages stacked along the back alley, taller than Tifa. Between the cracks, a hint of pink popped into view.

“Who the hell drops off packages like this?!” A defeated groan shot through the air. “What part of ‘leave at the front’ do they not get?!”

Aerith stepped out from behind the tower of packages, donning a simple blouse and floral skirt, though it was the red leather jacket and black boots that caught Tifa’s eye. Somehow, she pulled off the look. _Far_ more fashionable than Tifa’s white logo t-shirt and black overalls.

“This is unbelievable,” Aerith muttered into her palms. “I’m never going to get this all inside.”

Tifa’s breath hitched and heart skipped. Swallowing hard, she emerged into view. “Um, hello? Aerith?”

Upon hearing her voice, Aerith whipped around, blinked, and smiled. “Tifa! Oh hey, stranger! Been a while, huh?”

“Feels like that,” Tifa giggled out. “I swear the week flew by.”

“Has it _really_ been only that long?!” She joined the giggling fit. “Funny how time escapes us like that!”

“Tell me about it!” Tifa ambled closer, eyes scanning the countless boxes outside. “So… how’s the shop doing?”

“So far, so good! I just closed for the day. A bit slower than I’d like, I’ll make it work.” Her gaze drifted to the packages. “Especially with… um, well….”

“Are all these _yours_?”

Aerith heaved out a heavy breath and kicked the ground. “Yeah….”

“That’s… that’s _a lot_.”

“Sure is.”

“Did you—”

“ _Well_ , I found a good deal on soil and fertilizer, but there was a minimum order of a hundred pounds. And a month ago, I ordered some supplies to sell, like watering cans and garden gloves, but those were back-ordered. And then I _also_ found this artist in Kalm who makes these _gorgeous_ wind chimes out of recycled glass and metal. We struck a deal for me to showcase some of her work in the shop, but customs held the package for some time because I guess that’s what happens when you don’t make the distinction between regular glass and recycled glass and now—”

Aerith spun in place and flailed at the boxes towering over them.

“Everything showed up at once,” she continued. “In the back alley, no less! Geez, I _specifically_ asked in the special instructions for these to be brought to the front.” Aerith whipped out her smartphone and swiped through an app. “And then they have the _nerve_ to say it was delivered and left with the owner at noon. Unbelievable! I didn’t even know this was all out here until I started closing! Guess that’s ChocoPost for you. Should’ve shelled out the extra gil for MogNet.”

Tifa mentally counted the boxes, flexing and fidgeting her fingers. “So,” she drew out, “do you need a hand with bringing these inside?”

Aerith’s eyes widened. “What? With _these_?”

“Yeah. I mean, it’s a lot, right? And some got these on them, too.” She nudged a bottom package with her toe, pointing at the yellow sticker stating _over fifty pounds_.

“Oh no,” Aerith said, waving her open hands, “don’t worry about that! I’d hate to impose, anyways. I’m sure I can—”

“It’s not a problem.”

Tifa grabbed a package on top of the stack—a lighter one, perhaps with the wind chimes, if the delicate sound inside was any indicator. She managed to balance one on each shoulder, lean muscles flexing to support the weight and structure.

“Where do you want these?” Tifa asked while turning to face Aerith.

She swore Aerith stood there with wide eyes and ajar lips. Maybe it was the golden sunlight before dusk that warmed her face and not a splash of blush. After a beat, Aerith perked back up.

“Uh, this way! Here.” She held open the rear door to her shop. “Come on in!”

Tifa followed her into the building, hoping not to trip over anything in the limited light. Thankfully, Aerith scurried in and flicked on the switches until the overhead lamps brightened.

“You can put those right here.” Aerith patted the counter by the cash register. “I can unpack them if you want to bring them in.”

“Sure thing,” Tifa said, her steps slowing while she absorbed the interior. “Not a… problem….”

Old wood lined the walls and floor, but it was the flowers sprawling across shelves and tables which captured Tifa’s eye. Perennials dominated one side and annuals on another—all sorted by type, then color. A kaleidoscope of vibrant blossoms washed through the shop. Intermingled with the displays were garden knick-knacks from stone statues to tongue-in-check doormats to birdbaths. And the _smell_. Tifa inhaled and smiled; it was like a summer afternoon before a rainstorm, all bottled within the shop. That alone would leave her with an empty wallet and an arm full of flowers.

“Aerith?” Tifa finally said. “Did you _do_ all of this?”

“Yup! I told you—I grow everything myself. The greenhouse is in the back.”

After settling the boxes onto the counter, Tifa peered past Aerith and held her breath. A doorway led to a small, yet long room overflowing with greenery. Sunlight spilled through the windowed ceiling and onto the flowers.

“That’s amazing,” Tifa said, a touch breathless. “What a delight to have in Nibelheim, too!”

Aerith leaned into the counter, toying with the loose curls framing her face. “You think so?”

“Of course! The locals are going to love having this right in downtown. Most people just grew their own stuff, but you… _you_ got so much variety! Look at these!” She poked at the birdhouses beside the register. “Oh, and these are gorgeous!” She leaned in to smell the bouquet of carnations, ranging from pinks to yellows. “And those over there!” Tifa gestured to the sundials along the back wall. “It’s like this shop’s always been here, like it was _meant_ for Nibelheim.”

She almost missed the tender smile Aerith gave her. Something small, yet it glowed brighter than the sun’s final hour. “That’s sweet of you, Tifa. I hope you’re right—that people enjoy this place. Locals _and_ visitors.”

“Well, you know how it goes. If the locals love it, then all the tourists will know the best haunts!”

“Exactly!”

They giggled together. Tifa leaned into the counter opposite of Aerith. Wow, were her eyes _that_ green? She hadn’t noticed before, but now that she was up close—

“Tifa?”

She blinked. “Hmm?”

Aerith stifled her amusement while cracking open a box. “Could you… um—”

“Oh!” Tifa jerked upright and bolted to the back door. “The packages! I forgot. I’m on it!”

At least Aerith chuckled in the distance. That alone made Tifa smile.

The remaining packages grew heavier with each trip. She saved the bottom ones—no doubt the bulk fertilizer and soil Aerith mentioned—for last. Despite moving said packages slowly, Tifa carried them with little strain.

“Alright,” Tifa heaved out, settling the final package on a metal cart. “That should be it.” She clapped her hands clean and wiped sweat from her brow. “Anything else?”

Aerith leaned further into the counter, a cheek propped up on a loose fist. Her pink lips curled into a devious smirk, but it was her dazzling eyes scanning Tifa which elicited a shiver.

“You _really_ don’t skip arm day, do you?” Aerith teased.

Tifa coughed up a chuckle and averted her gaze. “Well, the heavier ones you need to lift from your legs. Makes it easier on your back and all.”

“ _Oh_. You don’t skip _any_ of the days.”

“Not when you’ve been lugging around sacks of potatoes since you were thirteen.”

Again Aerith’s gaze passed over Tifa. She chewed her lower lip. “I might need to order some more bulk soil.”

“Really?” Tifa glanced at the packages filling the metal cart. “Do you go through it that fast?”

Aerith tossed her head back with a cackle. “Hey, that would be great for business!” She waved a hand at Tifa, shaking her head as her amusement died. “No, that won’t be happening any time soon, but… thank you. For all of this. I’d be up until tomorrow morning trying to get it in.”

“Hey, don’t mention it. If you need some heavy lifting again, just let me know.”

“At this rate, I’ll have to hire you as a part-timer just for that!” Aerith tilted her head and tapped fingers along her jaw. “Though depending on how business goes, I _might_ need to do that. Oh, but I’d hate to be a burden, especially when you have the tavern to look out for, after all.”

Aerith kept talking—something about calling her friend who helped her move in for extra help around the shop—but it fell on deaf ears as the realization struck Tifa.

“Oh shit,” she breathed out. “The tavern.”

Aerith blinked. “What’s that?”

“How long have I been gone?!”

“Um… it’s been a while, I guess—”

“Oh no, I need to get back! Here I was just bringing out the trash and then—”

“Hey now!” Aerith placed her hands on her hips. “My stuff isn’t trash!”

“No no! Sorry, I meant… _actual_ trash. Like the kitchen’s trash. And then I saw _you_ and I got caught up in stuff and—”

“Tifa.”

The way Aerith spoke her name—an airy bounce mixed in with a partial snort—brought a skip in her pulse. The lovely flower girl grinned, her entire body bobbing from whatever laughter she held back.

“Go on,” she said, gesturing to the rear door. “You’ve done plenty and I appreciate it.”

Inhaling deep, Tifa rushed to the exit, only to lean back in and wave. “It was great to see you again! I hope you have a nice night!”

She caught Aerith waving at her, the image burned in her mind as she ran through the alley and back into Seventh Heaven. The door slammed behind her, though didn’t compare to the rapid heartbeat living in her ears.

“Hey, girl!” Jessie called from the break room, mouth full of fries. “You hike up the mountains to take out the trash or something?”

 _Shit, I_ _’ve been away that long?_ Tifa marched on to the kitchen, not acknowledging a soul as she washed her hands and returned to the bar. To her surprise, Biggs took over filling sodas and mixing drinks. Cloud walked by with a massive, loaded tray, albeit with a wobble, though the customers at T4 smiled as he arrived. As for the rest of the place? Not too packed. Not yet.

“Hey, boss!” Biggs jerked his chin in her direction. “Good to see you back! Things were starting to pick up, too.”

“I’m so sorry,” Tifa said, helping Biggs unload the clean glasses from the dishwasher. “I didn’t mean to be gone for so long.”

“Relax. We got things covered. Besides, Cloud might not speak up about it, but he’s been wanting more experience waiting tables. Look at him.” Biggs smiled, watching Cloud seat a family of four by the window. “Even remembered the crayons and coloring mats for the kiddos. He’ll be a good replacement when Jessie hits the road for the Gold Saucer—”

“ _If_ she does,” Tifa corrected him. “She’s been sending her portfolio to agents for _months_. Who knows if that pipe dream is going to become reality?”

“Hey, can’t fault the girl for trying.” He paused. “Though if she leaves without paying whatever debt she owes me—”

“Wow, here we go.”

“—then I can’t be held responsible for chasing her down to get my five hundred gil. Speaking of which—”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh!” Biggs leaned in with a wicked grin. “So you _weren_ _’t_ over at the flower store trying to woo the cute owner and actually took half an hour to do trash?”

Tifa groaned and threw up her hands. “No! I was helping her bring in the bazillion packages the ChocoPost dropped off in the back alley! It was probably a fire hazard and she couldn’t lift anything and—”

“You flexed those sweet guns of yours and did the heavy work for her. Yup. Uh-huh.” Biggs winked for good measure. “I get it, boss. Great shirt to be doing that in, too. Bet she _loved_ the view of—”

“Biggs!” Tifa stepped back and pointed firmly to the dining floor. “Out of the bar! Back to waiting tables!”

“Don’t tell me twice.” Though he paused ever-so-briefly to murmur into her ear. “But if you ask if she’s single or slip her your number before _she_ does, just let me know so I can tell Jessie to—”

“The _tables_ , Biggs!”

“Yup! On it, boss!”

With the bar under her control once more, Tifa dove into her work, refilling drinks at the counter and tidying what she could along the way. Jessie returned from her break and Cloud disappeared into the kitchen to resume his work alongside Wedge. The sun died out and Seventh Heaven glowed within. Not a seat was available as the dinner rush officially began. The regulars laughed over the crackling radio, their glasses clinked, the grill sizzled with the night’s specials, and Tifa barely remembered any of it, still recalling Aerith and her contrasting outfit and wandering eyes and how Tifa forgot the world in their brief time together.


	3. Chapter 3

“Daddy! Daddy! Let’s sit over here!”

Tifa looked up from counting a customer’s change long enough to spot the top of a little girl’s head bounding towards the bar.

“Whoa there!” The father in question swooped down to pick her up. Not a regular, from the looks of it. “We can’t just sit wherever! Need to stay up front until we’re seated.”

“Actually,” Tifa piped up, “feel free to seat yourselves. It’s a bit of a lull right now. I got one wait staff member on break and the other dropping off a catering order, so you got your pick for the time being.”

The little girl smacked her hands along his broad shoulders. “Daddy! Did you hear that?! We can sit _anywhere_!”

“That doesn’t mean we sit at the bar,” he explained, then audibly sighed upon finding all the window seats taken.

“But why not?”

“Little girls shouldn’t be sitting at bars. You’re too young.”

“But….” She wiggled around to catch Tifa’s eyes while she finished at the register. “She can be by the bar! You say I need to be a big girl and… _she_ _’s_ a big girl, too!”

Tifa bit the corners of her cheeks to suppress a smirk. As for the father, he smacked his face and groaned.

“Marlene,” he said, “that’s not what I meant. Now come on. Let’s find us a seat and get some chow before we hit the road back home.”

The girl pouted. “Okay….”

Before they turned away, Tifa moved down the bar to meet them. “Sorry for listening in, but the lunch rush is over and it’ll be a while before the crowd picks up again, so—” She gestured to the counter. “—if you want to take a seat, it’s fine by me.”

The father paused and gazed at the counter, then Tifa. “You sure, miss? Wouldn’t want you to get in trouble.”

“Not at all.” Tifa braced the counter with a smile. “You’re looking at the owner, after all.”

He cracked a smile before laughing. “You hear that, Marlene? Today’s your lucky day.” He placed her on one of the stools, barely tall enough for her to look over the countertop. “What a great way to end our vacation, don’t you think?”

Tifa already grabbed menus and silverware for their spots. “Take it you two are visiting?”

“That’s right!” He took a seat beside his daughter. “Came here all the way from Corel.”

“Wow, that’s quite a hike.”

He grinned. “Can’t say no to the mountains this time of year! Don’t get a view like that where we’re from.”

“We saw deer and bobcats and turkeys!” Marlene exclaimed, bouncing in her seat.

“That’s right! We did!”

“Well then,” Tifa said as she fished out a coloring mat and crayons, “you’ll be happy to know there’s a bunch of local wildlife on here to fill in.” She slid it to Marlene, who gasped with wide eyes. “Something to keep you busy while waiting on your order.”

“Oh, isn’t that the cutest thing! Marlene? What do we say to the nice lady?”

Marlene dumped crayons all over the counter, never bothering to look up. “Thank you, nice lady!”

He rolled his eyes and Tifa snickered.

“Kid’s got my work cut out for me,” he grumbled, albeit with a smile

“Looks like it,” Tifa said. “Just wave me down when you two are ready to order. Take your time!”

While cleaning tables after Cloud retrieved dirty plates, Tifa paused intermittently to peek out the windows. Fallen leaves tumbled down the streets instead of pedestrians. The summer traffic through downtown—if people even wanted to call it that, both the traffic and downtown—waned, yet gave way to a new type of travelers. Those who didn’t mind the chill amidst the countryside made a pit stop at Nibelheim before or after braving the mountains—a perfect getaway for those used to urban life.

Tifa cracked a smile as the memories surfaced, like the ebb and flow of the ocean along a shore. She remembered her parents had a cabin up there, well-secluded on the outskirts of a dense forest. There was a lake she loved to swim in during summer and ice skate on during winter. She still had pictures somewhere of those trips. But the mountainside shifted from personal lodgings to glamorized resorts for those who could afford it. Certainly not the folk at the bottom of the mountains.

Still, she couldn’t fault others for visiting. The trail proved to be tedious and time-consuming, but it was beautiful and serene. She only hoped people continued to enjoy it as much as she once had. And if they visited her tavern to fill their empty stomachs? Who was Tifa to complain?

“Takeout order!” Wedge called from the kitchen counter. “For uh….”

Tifa glanced back, halfway through jotting down the father-daughter duo’s order. Wedge contorted his face while reading whatever was scrawled on the slip.

“What’s up?” Tifa asked.

Wedge blinked. “Uh, it says… for the cutie next door?”

Tifa almost dropped her pen and notepad. “The _what_?”

“I don’t know. That’s what it says!”

He extended the slip to Tifa and sure enough, it was a crispy chicken melt with extra fries—for the cutie next door.

In Biggs’ handwriting.

Because of course it was.

Before Tifa inhaled enough air to scream his name, the man in question rounded the corner with a smile.

“Oh hey, boss!” he said. “Back on the clock, now! Hope nothing too exciting happened when I was gone.”

Tifa yanked the order out of Wedge’s hand and shoved it in Biggs’ face. “Not sure. Does _this_ count?”

Biggs’ eyes flicked over the writing. “Well, will you look at that! Flower girl put in a takeout order!”

“Did she? Because she never came in. And the phone sure didn’t ring, either.”

Biggs flashed a smile, yet his expression wavered. “Wow, my bad! I must’ve written the name wrong!”

“ _Biggs_ —”

“You know what you should do?” He grabbed the brown bag from the counter and extended it to her. “Maybe go over and give it to her, anyways! I bet she’s hungry. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her pop out for lunch before! Besides, you’re always talking about not wanting food to go to waste.”

She narrowed her eyes on him. “You just set this all up, didn’t you?”

He shrugged. “Who’s to say! But if you don’t _want_ to hand-deliver it next door, then I guess _I_ can go over and—”

Tifa swiped the bag out of his hands and marched past him. “Can you grab two apple ciders for the customers at the counter? And finish taking their order?”

Biggs managed to catch the pad of paper she tossed his way. “On it, boss! Now then—” He swiped a pen from behind his ear. “—what else can I get you two?”

“Chicken nuggies!” Marlene exclaimed, arms tossed overhead for emphasis. “And fries and lots of honey mustard!”

“What do we _say_?” her father added, almost begrudgingly.

“Pleaaaaase?”

“Now that’s more like it!” Before Tifa cleared the counter, he caught her eye and leaned in. “Yo, if whatever cutie next door doesn’t want that crispy chicken thing? Add it to my tab, will you?”

Tifa tried not to fall face-first on the floor. “Uh… yup! Sure thing!”

She swore he also winked and mouthed _good luck_ to her, but Tifa was already halfway across the tavern and trying to mentally erase whatever just _happened_ a moment ago.

A cool autumn breeze welcomed Tifa as she stepped outside. She basked in it briefly, eyes closed and lips curled. Geese echoed in the air. The occasional car rolled down the street. A leaf brushed Tifa’s nose. On an exhale, she opened her eyes to fiery leaves still clinging to the trees. Some joked there were more trees than buildings in Nibelheim. Tifa didn’t doubt that; the town didn’t have much, but at least it had a view.

For now? Tifa quite enjoyed the view not far from Seventh Heaven, right in front of the flower shop.

Aerith waved to the customer leaving the building, smiling as brightly as the bouquet of red roses in their arms. Instead of her usual dresses, she wore high-waisted denim pants paired with a knit sweater. She fussed with the bandana holding her twisted braid in place before situating a wooden ladder in front of the entrance.

Her green gaze drifted to Tifa in that time and her smile widened.

“Hey, Tifa!” She waved, far more enthusiastic than with her departing customer. “Good to see you!”

Waving back, Tifa couldn’t help but mirror that sweet smile. “Same to you. How’s the day been treating you?”

“Well enough!” Aerith scaled up the ladder, leather boots peeking out from beneath her pants’ cuffs. “Haven’t gotten into trouble yet, but the day’s still young.”

Tifa giggled. “You know if you need a hand, I’m only a store away.”

“Thankfully, I haven’t needed to order anything requiring some muscle.” She reached the top and peered down with a smirk. “Though I _could_ use some more pots. Might look into a bulk order of those.”

Tifa ignored the heat rising on her face. “Are those selling well?”

“They are! Come to find out the second graders at the elementary school are doing some art project with them for Halloween. Guess I was the only place in town that had a bunch. Most of the parents even bought some for their gardens!”

“Oh Aerith, that’s wonderful!”

A coy expression flashed across Aerith’s face. She tucked a stubborn lock of hair behind her ear, only to have it spring free. “Thank you. I’m really happy things are doing well. It’s only been two weeks and who knows what’ll happen when winter hits, but a small victory is still a victory.”

“But of course!”

She raised an eyebrow. “So… are you here to buy some flowers or—”

“Oh!” Tifa perked up, almost forgetting the brown bag with the Seventh Heaven logo stamped on the front: a mythical moogle chilling in a fryer basket with bold typography striking across. “I was just… dropping this off.” She swallowed hard. “For you.”

Aerith furrowed her brows. “For _me_? I don’t remember ordering anything.”

_Yup. Thanks a lot, Biggs._ “That’s because… I figured you’ve been so busy with your shop that you might not have the time to sneak out for lunch. So—” She lifted the bag. “A little treat from a neighbor to a neighbor!”

“Aww! Well isn’t that sweet! I appreciate it!”

Her stomach flipped and her heart ricocheted and her thoughts squealed with incomprehensible joy. “Of course! Don’t mention it.”

“Could you… um….” She pointed to the cobblestone steps leading to the front door. “Just put it there? I need a minute.”

Plopping the bag down, Tifa wandered to the ladder instead of returned to Seventh Heaven. “What are you working on up there?”

“Oh, just fixing the new sign. Barely had it up for a week, but someone told me earlier that it looked crooked. I think the wind picked up overnight and threw it askew. Just… tweaking it now.”

Tifa walked to the edge of the curb for a better view. A massive wooden plaque nestled in the nook of the roof, stained a deep, reddish-brown. Carved and painted into the wood were flowers and vines. They enveloped golden letters that spelled _Gainsborough Greenhouse_. Not too precise, either; just enough handmade charm to fit into the likes of Nibelheim, but professional, nonetheless. And definitely worthy of Aerith and her shop.

“I can’t tell if this blasted thing is leveled or not.” Aerith poked at either end of the sign and looked back to Tifa. “Hey! While you’re here—”

“Want me to see how it looks across the street?”

Aerith smiled and Tifa’s heart sang. “That’d be perfect! Thanks so much!”

“Hey, anytime!” Tifa looked both ways before jogging across. Upon reaching the opposite street, she spun around and shielded her eyes from the sun’s glare. “Hmm… I think it needs to go up a little more on the left. Like a smidge.”

Readjusting the sign, Aerith leaned back for Tifa to see. “How’s this?”

She quirked her lips. “Now it looks like it’s leaning back, sort of?”

“Ugh, I knew it.” Aerith replaced screws in quick succession. “How about now?”

Again she leaned back for Tifa’s inspection. Tifa reminded herself to focus on the sign and not the pretty lady perched on the ladder with her lush brown hair and cozy pink sweater.

Squinting, Tifa finally clapped her hands. “That’s it! Looks great from here!”

“Perfect!” Aerith gave a thumbs up. “Now with _that_ out of the way, I can finally see what you brought—”

Aerith’s foot slipped. The ladder swayed. Tifa gasped.

“Shit!”

Aerith latched onto the edge of the roof as the ladder collapsed. Her hands trembled against the old shingles.

Tifa never bothered checking for cars before she sprinted across the street. A horn blared, but the sound barely registered to her. She skidded to a halt and extended her arms—just as Aerith slipped from the roof.

And fell into Tifa’s arms.

She wobbled from the impact, yet maintained her form. On instinct, her arms curled around Aerith. Tifa gulped down air, though her heart dared to punch through her chest. Or maybe it was Aerith’s pulse.

“Hey,” Tifa said, the words quivering on her tongue, “are you okay?”

Aerith unraveled herself, the tension easing from her muscles. She cracked open one eye, then the other. A smile graced her lovely features.

“My hero!” she declared. “Whew! You have excellent timing!”

Tifa chuckled, or tried to. The nervous sound fluttered out, almost rendering her dizzy. “Uh… yeah. I, um… you’re not hurt or anything, are you?”

“Don’t think so? Think my pride is more bruised than anything.”

“Nothing broken?”

“Tifa,” Aerith laughed out, “I’m alright!” Then she wiggled in closer. “Though I’m glad I didn’t have to drop a pretty gil on bulk soil to see your arms in action again.”

She imagined that. She had to. Same with the twitch of Aerith’s eyebrows and that _look_ she gave her and—

“Tifa? Is that you?”

Breaking eye contact with Aerith, she located the origin of whoever called for her. Jessie stood in the sweep distance, arms full of catering trays. She looked back and forth between Tifa and Aerith, occasionally the fallen ladder.

“Uh….” Jessie cocked her head. “Don’t mind me, I was just… walking down the street… back to work….”

“It’s not what it looks like,” Tifa blurted out.

Jessie tilted her head further. “Uh-huh.”

Even Aerith gave her a look. “What _is_ it supposed to look like?”

A cool breeze swept by, reminding Tifa of how hot her cheeks burned. “I don’t know—” She blinked and her eye widened. “Aerith, you’re bleeding.”

“I am?” She looked over herself, then raised her left hand, scraped up from the shingles. “Oh! Well look at that. Didn’t even notice.”

“Here, let me sit you down. Jessie? Can you grab the first aid kit—”

“In the break room.” She picked up her pace and marched by them with a wink. “Already on it, boss.”

With Aerith situated on the steps, Tifa sat beside her, gently checking her hand and arm for additional injuries. She pulled back the sweater’s sleeve and brushed fingertips along her skin. Aerith never flinched; if anything, she watched Tifa with utmost intrigue.

“Anything broken, doc?” Aerith teased.

Tifa tented her eyebrows. “I don’t think so. Do you want me to call for—”

“Oh, it’s fine! Look.” Aerith flexed her left hand. “I can still do that. Must be good, right?”

“Yeah.”

And yet Tifa’s fingers continued to ghost Aerith’s soft skin.

“Thanks for catching me.”

Tifa flinched out of her reverie and met Aerith’s gaze—nothing but tenderness glowed in her eyes.

“I’d probably have more than scraped skin if you weren’t around,” Aerith said.

Retracting her hand, Tifa tucked hair behind her ears and fidgeted in place. “Well, I’m glad it wasn’t worse than what it could’ve been. Um… it’s probably still best if we bandage your hand. Don’t want it getting infected.”

“Can’t argue with that. Well, on that note—” Aerith grabbed for the takeout bag beside her. “—now’s good as ever for lunch!”

Tifa nearly forgot the reason she was there to begin with. _Maybe I should thank Biggs for this little nudge._ “I’m not sure what you like to eat, but I hope you—”

“Wait, what’s this?”

Aerith lifted an order slip. Tifa paled and froze.

“For the cutie next door?” Aerith slowly read, raising an eyebrow.

Whatever explanation Tifa thought she concocted immediately died. Words bubbled forth, mere sounds on her stuttering lips.

Aerith shot her a devious look paired with a matching smirk. “Oh, what’s this? Someone at your tavern thinks I’m cute?” She fanned herself with the order slip. “Well, _now_ you need to tell me who this someone is!”

_Maybe I can hitch a bus to Midgar,_ Tifa thought, unable to voice anything coherent. _Forget I ever lived here. Yeah, no one will know about the time I brought over food for the girl I like and kept the damn slip with it that_ I _didn_ _’t even write and—_

“Hey, sorry for the wait!”

Jessie jogged into sight and dropped to her knees with the first aid kit in tow. Tifa jumped at the opportunity to distract herself from the embarrassment that was now her life, though in between cleaning Aerith’s hand, she caught that playful smirk which rendered her face into a tomato.

“You okay, Tifa?” Jessie asked at one point. “You’re not running a fever or anything, are—”

“Nope, I’m _great_.”

Aerith snorted. That at least broke some tension, but not enough for Tifa’s liking. Especially when a small crowd formed on the streets to whisper and observe what transpired. Even a few patrons from Seventh Heaven poked out.

“Daddy, look!” The little girl, Marlene, managed to slip out, jumping with delight while pointing at Tifa and Aerith. “It’s the nice lady and the cutie next door!”

Jessie blinked. “Wait, what did the kid just say?”

The whispers picked up, eyes flicking back and forth between the child and the girls in question, as if there was wisdom in the young one’s proclamation. Tifa simply sat there, staring a hole through the ground, hoping she could crawl into one and not exist for the rest of the day.

“Oooo.” Aerith nudged her. “So, which one of us is which? Am _I_ the nice lady or the—”

“Oh, kids these days are just hilarious!” Tifa gushed out. “They say the darnedest things, don’t they?! Wonder where she picked that up from? Beats me!”

Thankfully, Marlene’s dad made his way outside to collect her, lecturing about how pointing at people was not nice. Tifa thought she saw him flash her a thumbs up with his prosthetic arm. Or maybe she imagined that. Like everything else.

“Alright!” Jessie clapped her hands together. “All cleaned up and bandaged. You’re good to go, Aerith.”

“Aww, aren’t you two just the sweetest.” She flexed her hand for good measure. “Thanks so much!”

“Well, don’t thank me. Thank Ms. Muscles over here for catching you or else we’d need more than a first aid kit.” Before Tifa could protest, Jessie spun around and flailed at the small crowd they amassed. “Hey everyone! False alarm! All’s good over here!”

A few people applauded while the rest shrugged and resumed life in the otherwise sleepy town. Tifa continued to stare at her own boots upon standing, though made an exception for Aerith. Green eyes locked with hers as she helped Aerith to her feet.

“Meet you back inside?” Jessie asked Tifa, already heading towards Seventh Heaven.

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a second.”

And with Jessie gone and the streets empty again, all that remained were Tifa and Aerith.

“You know,” she drew out, “if we’re going to bump into each other this frequently, I’ll need to start marking it on my calendar.”

Tifa wrapped her arms around her form, ready to blame the wind. “Hopefully next time is… a little less stressful.”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?!” Aerith giggled. “And here I thought I’d have to order more packages to see those arms in action again.”

Whatever reply Tifa thought she had never surfaced. More giggles spilled from Aerith as she swayed on her feet.

“For what it’s worth—” Aerith skipped closer, less than a foot from Tifa. “—if I had to land in some cutie’s arms, I’m glad it was yours.”

Another wink, another smile. Aerith collected her lunch and thanked Tifa again before retreating inside. Tifa remembered waving and smiling before heading back to Seventh Heaven. She remembered Biggs and Jessie in a heated argument as to whether the recent events were enough to settle their bet (they weren’t). She remembered the guy at the counter—Barret Wallace, or so his license said before she served him an ale—asking her about any hidden gems to check out before heading home. She remembered night rolling in and the tavern filling up and the aroma of beer, bacon, and a wood fire living in the foundations.

Now and then it echoed between her thoughts—what Aerith said. Somewhere in between mixing drinks and ringing up tabs, those words boomed in her head louder and clearer than before.

Tifa braced herself against the counter. “Wait, she thinks I’m _cute_?!”


	4. Chapter 4

_She thinks I_ _’m cute,_ Tifa repeated throughout the day, amidst chores to pass the time.

_She thinks I_ _’m cute,_ she thought while unloading a shipment of seasonal beer.

_She thinks I_ _’m cute,_ she mused while jotting down a catering order.

_She thinks I_ _’m cute,_ she kept to herself while cleaning up, while closing the building, while walking home, while she fell asleep to the mental image of the flower girl next door.

Only in her dreams was Tifa confident enough to approach Aerith. Through a hazy landscape, they embraced one another, laughing and smiling until their faces hurt. Tifa kissed her palm, where Aerith injured herself—to help make it better. And she smoothed that hand over Tifa’s face and threaded it through her hair and tugged her in closer as they tumbled midair and across the world one another.

She wanted to kiss her. She wanted to express a million things she feared she couldn’t squeeze into a single lifetime. As Tifa contemplated where to begin, an alarmed blared to life and shattered the dream.

Tifa stirred, groaned, rolled over, and smacked the clock. Silence returned to her bedroom, though she doubted that sweet dream would pick up where she left off.

But she didn’t need to be asleep to think of Aerith. Tifa recalled her throughout morning preparations in her home. What would Aerith’s fingers feel like combing her hair? Did Aerith like the simple t-shirt and pants combo she wore day after day? Was she fond of the scent in Tifa’s shampoo and body lotion?

Tifa fussed with her appearance in the bathroom mirror, more than she had since she was a middle schooler discovering lip gloss and mascara. _Does she wonder the same things about me?_

Her heart gained momentum as she walked the final stretch of her morning commute. Autumn claimed Nibelheim with its fiery leaves and crisp air, but it was the residents who highlighted the beloved qualities throughout the town. Decorative gourds sat on front steps. Garlands of golden pinecones lined windows and doorways. A few, spooky figures lingered outside entrances from floating ghosts to scarecrow zombies. Gainsborough Greenhouse was no different.

Tifa slowed her steps. Tiny paintings of cartoon ghosts occupied the windows along with autumn leaves, jack o’ lanterns, and black cats. A variety of mums were on display in pumpkin-shaped pots. Tifa smiled at the red ones—vibrant and healthy. Several people ambled inside, carrying wicker baskets with their selected flowers. In that mix, she spotted Aerith, busy chatting with a customer at the counter.

In between laughter, she caught sight of Tifa, smiled, and waved. And Tifa reciprocated.

And she almost headed inside to… to do what? To buy flowers she had no room for? To say hello and eat up the valuable time of her customers? Swallowing hard, Tifa continued to Seventh Heaven, yet struggled to ignore the rapid pulse living in her ears.

Maybe it was better that way—to simply be neighbors in a small town, running their own businesses. Anything else would complicate matters, right? Sure, several townies were married, but they ran a single establishment together. _Like Mom and Dad once did,_ Tifa mused while she peeled potatoes alongside Cloud.

No amount of reasoning, however, stopped her from blurting out, “So, I really like Aerith.”

Everyone froze and stared at her. Even Cloud looked away from the potatoes.

Tifa tapped fingers against the cutting board. “Um… yeah. I was just thinking… I don’t know, maybe I should do something—”

“That’s an _excellent_ idea!” Biggs nudged the walk-in fridge shut with his foot. “About time, too.”

Jessie abandoned unloading the dishwasher to slide over to Tifa. “What do you have in mind?”

“Clearly need to ask her on a date, for starters.”

Jessie glared through Biggs. “Uh, _no_?”

“What, too forward?”

“Too leaning-in-your-favor-for-that-five-hundred-gil-bet.”

“How is that leaning in my favor?!”

Tifa glared at them. “How are you two _still_ talking about that?!”

Jessie’s sly smile wasn’t helping. “Oh, it’s not just us.”

“Yeah, after you swooped in to save our neighborhood flower girl—” Biggs blew the air a chef kiss. “—got a few others involved.”

Tifa’s jaw dropped. “What?!”

“But really,” Jessie added, “so long as Biggs pays up, then that’s all I care about. Which is _why_ you shouldn’t ask her outright on a date. Way too on the nose, yeah? You should wait for _her_ to make the first move. You know, play hard to get. Be your usual oblivious self—”

“Both of you are unbelievable.” Tifa spun around and crossed her arms. “Don’t tell me _you_ _’re_ in on this, too.”

Wedge chuckled. “Nah, I’m all good, though whatever you do? I just hope you’re happy.”

Tifa flailed at him. “See? Why can’t you guys be more supportive like Wedge.”

“Hey now,” Biggs said, “who put in that crispy chicken melt order for the cutie next door that you dropped off?”

“And who grabbed you a first aid kit so you could spend some more time with—

“Ugh.” Tifa buried her face in her hands. “I’m just going to have to figure this out on my own, aren’t I.”

“No way!” Jessie settled her hands on Tifa’s shoulders. “We got your back on this.”

“Want us to put in reservations for a romantic dinner at—”

“ _Biggs_!”

“What?! They both deserve something nice! And Tifa should _definitely_ ask her out.”

Tifa caught Jessie rolling her eyes. “ _I_ think you should do something simple. Like maybe a gift? You know, in celebration of being in business for a solid month.”

“Three weeks,” Tifa corrected her. “It’ll be three weeks as of tomorrow.”

Cloud snorted. “Yeah, you got it bad.”

“It’s not _that_ bad!” Tifa blinked. “Is it?”

“It’s bad,” everyone in the kitchen replied.

After a tremendous sigh, Tifa raised a brow and looked to Cloud. “What do _you_ think?”

He focused on chopping vegetables to stock up before opening. The shrug of his shoulders was enough, but he opted to speak, nonetheless. “I don’t know. Whatever throws a wrench in their bet, probably.”

Jessie pouted. “Aww, Cloud, I thought you were on my side!”

“But—” Biggs leaned against the table, gesturing to Cloud. “—you’d agree asking her on a date is the better option, right?”

Cloud paused briefly, then shook his head. “Honestly, both her and Tifa have their own places to run. When are they going to have time for a date? A gift’s probably easier.”

Biggs slumped forward as Jessie bounced and clapped.

“Ooo, I can’t wait to fan myself with your five hundred gil!” Jessie squealed.

“Oh, please! This is _far_ from over!”

The bickering continued as they shifted to the dining area. Wedge laughed and shook his head and Cloud worked as though nothing occurred. Tifa rolled the suggestions in her head, even the ridiculous ones.

“What kind of gift do you think would work best?” Tifa asked after a moment.

“Something practical,” he said, flicking his eyes to hers. “Something she’d use.”

A small smile surfaced on Tifa’s lips. “I think I can manage that.”

* * *

“Whoa, look at _you_!”

Jessie let out a sharp whistle as Tifa shrugged off her peacoat to reveal a white button-down shirt, black pants, and matching suspenders. Even Wedge joined in with his own cheers. Tifa did her best to ignore them, though there was no hiding that coy expression of hers.

“Please don’t tell me that’s a new dress code,” Biggs called out from the bar.

“No,” Tifa replied as she hung up her peacoat. “It’s still t-shirts and jeans.”

“But?”

Tifa rolled her eyes, yet smiled. “But I stopped by that fashion boutique store down a couple blocks on lunch yesterday—”

“So _that_ _’s_ where you went!” Jessie jabbed her shoulder. “Trying to impress a certain someone?”

“No!” A beat, then, “Maybe? I don’t know.”

Biggs peeked through the small opening between the bar and kitchen. “Are you finally asking her on a date?!”

“I’m not telling anything.”

“But you’re all dressed up,” Jessie said, shimmying her shoulders for emphasis.

Tifa sighed. “I found these—” She tugged at the suspenders. “—at the fashion boutique. I thought it would be nice to treat myself to something.”

“Uh-huh. And?”

“And… that’s it! Now, is everything ready for that catering pickup at two?”

Jessie whimpered and stomped her feet. “Ugh, you’re no fun!”

Tifa bit back a smirk while they resumed their duties before opening. Clean glasses stacked alongside the local, seasonal drafts. A chalkboard hung overhead with fall specials, from pumpkin bisque to turkey cranberry sandwiches to homemade apple pie. Chairs flanked empty tables, awaiting those eager for a slice of comfort food. By the time Tifa flipped on the dining room lights, turned over the _open_ sign, and unlocked the front door, the usual small crowd lingered on the streets.

She checked the clock after the initial wave of orders were in and everyone quietly nursed their drinks—barely quarter after twelve. _Right before things pick up,_ Tifa thought while washing her hands. _Should be plenty of time._

“Hey, Biggs,” Tifa said in passing, “can you hold the fort for five minutes?”

He walked by, balancing fried ravioli in one hand and loaded nachos in the other. Confusion tugged his features, then devious interest. “Why’s that?”

“I need to duck out quickly.” She ignored his smirk while heading into the kitchen. “I’ll be back. Not to worry.”

“I don’t know, boss,” he drew out, “every time you pop out, it’s become _a thing_.” When she didn’t answer, he added, “Alright, but I’m timing you!”

Tifa chuckled under her breath as she reached their coat rack in the back. From her peacoat’s inside pocket, she fished out a small bundle wrapped in antique newspaper and red ribbon. Hiding it behind her back, Tifa scouted the kitchen to ensure no prying eyes witnessed her slipping out the back.

Well, there was Cloud, carrying a pot of boiling potatoes to the sink. He paused, cracked a short-lived smile, nodded, and returned to his duties. Tifa released a breath; that was more than enough encouragement.

She played multiple scenarios in her head, prepping herself for whatever Aerith might toss her way. Tifa sucked in the cool air to calm her nerves. It was just a quick visit. Nothing too complicated. Just drop in, say hi, and offer a little something for… for _reasons_. And if anxiety didn’t chew a hole through Tifa, then maybe—just maybe—she could ask if she was available next week. What exactly, even Tifa didn’t plan that far ahead. But if she didn’t ask now, then when?

_I can_ _’t wait forever, getting by on daydreams and chance meetings,_ Tifa thought as she stepped out from the back alley and onto the streets.

Coming to a standstill, Tifa narrowed her eyes on the green pickup truck parked in front of Aerith’s shop. She couldn’t place it with any of the people she knew in town, especially with the Midgar University bumper sticker. _Another tourist, maybe?_

“Hey, Tifa!”

She perked up as the door bell jingled. “Oh hey, Johnny! How’s the mail route treating you?”

Clad in a stiff, yellow and brown ChocoPost uniform, Johnny stepped out of Gainsborough Greenhouse with a tremendous sigh. “Well, no one’s pets have chased me out of their yards yet, so I can’t complain.”

She chuckled. “You at least enjoying the nice weather?”

“Oh, you bet! I still get messages from the guys in our class who are stuck in cubicles out in Junon and never see daylight the whole time.”

“I don’t think I’d survive a day on that kind of job.”

“You and me both.” He dug through his messenger bag. “Hey, want me to give you your stuff now?”

“So long as it isn’t junk.”

“Hey, no promises.” He riffled through a stack of mail, silently forming the recipient names with his lips. “Is Jessie working today?”

“You bet.”

“Oh, thank _god_.” He handed Tifa a thick envelope. “Give that to her, will you? I _hate_ walking up that damn hill she lives on.”

Tifa shook her head and smiled. “I’m going to start charging you at the rate you keep giving me mail to hand off to my staff.” She paused. “And my regulars.” Another pause. “And—”

“Alright! I get it!” He handed her the rest of the mail made out to her home address. “Thanks a million, Tifa! I owe you!”

“Trust me, I got a running tab.” She waved as they continued past each other. “Take it easy.”

Tifa tucked the mail under her arm; she could worry about bills and adult stuff later. For now? She had a flower girl to visit. Pausing in front of the shop, Tifa drew in a deep breath, rolled her shoulders, and entered.

No sight of Aerith. Or any customers. Tifa fidgeted with the wrapped bundle and licked her lips.

“Um, hello?” She twirled a lock of hair before smoothing it behind her ear. “Hey, Aerith? It’s me.”

_Maybe I should leave the gift here and head back,_ Tifa contemplated while she shuffled to the counter. _She doesn_ _’t_ really _have to know it_ _’s from me, does she—_

Rushed steps stumbled from the storage room. Tifa raised a brow and watched as a man in a navy, ribbed sweater and baggy jeans emerged with three potted mums in his arms.

“Oh boy,” he muttered to himself, “come on. One trip. You said you could handle this in one—” He froze and caught Tifa’s eye. “Hey! A customer!” Shuffling to the counter, he struggled to place all the pots on the surface. “Welcome to the uh, Gainsborough Green-whatchamacallit.” He hissed and grabbed a pot teetering along the edge. “Greenery!” He flashed a nervous grin. “How can I help you?”

Tifa cocked her head. “Please tell me you’re not the hired help Aerith thought about bringing on.”

He winced and clapped his hands together, as if begging for mercy. “Ah, I’m messing up already, aren’t I? Well, the good news is I’m not here to help in _just_ the shop, so I can spare you from whatever plant advice I can dish out. I don’t know the names of _any_ of these things. Like, um—” He poked the red mums. “You want the red one? It’s got petals. And _dirt_.”

Tifa couldn’t help but snort. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be much different. Put me anywhere outside a bar and I’m clueless.”

His grin widened. “Oh, _you_ must be Tifa!”

She almost fell over. “Wait, how do you—” The realization settled in and she slammed an open hand on the counter. “Did she _tell_ you about me?!”

“Yup! Lots!”

_This is a dream. This isn_ _’t happening and it’s not real and—_

“She also said if I wanted to set up business around this neck of the woods, then you were like, a jackpot to hook up with.”

Tifa blinked. “What?”

“Geez, I’m putting the chocobo before the carriage, aren’t I? Let’s start over.” He extended a hand. “Name’s Zack! I went to college with Aerith out in Midgar.”

She eased her hand into his for a firm shake. “To _college_?”

“That’s right! We had a lot of freshman classes together and kept hanging out when we dove into different majors. Even helped her move out here when she made that decision.” Zack gazed at their surroundings with a proud smile. “She’s been doing great! Really proud of her.”

“So, if you’re from Midgar—” Tifa leaned into the counter, resting her mail and bundle next to her. “—then what brings you out here?”

“Oh, no no. I’m actually from Gongaga. Just went to Midgar for school.” He sighed. “The job market is ruthless. I don’t know why every entry-level job there wants at least five years of experience, but yeah, Aerith and I skipped the city together. I found my own thing to do, as did she, and… well, you know how persuasive she is.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” _Wait, I do?_

“So, before I know it, she’s roping me _back_ to Nibelheim to do my ChocoGo stuff out here!”

Tifa tried not to stare through him. “Um… you lost me.”

“Oh, here! Check it out!” He whipped out a smartphone and poked a yellow icon with a white chocobo footprint icon. A sleek UI flooded the screen along with a map and icons of pending customers. “It’s a service people can use to have stuff delivered to them. I interned for their Midgar office my junior year—really nifty place! It’s _super_ popular in the city and when I realized there weren’t any ChocoGo drivers out here? Might as well get on top of that!”

“So… you’re just a fancy delivery boy?”

“Kind of! But people can request me to pick up anything for them, so long as the business signs up for a plan. Aerith is my first business partner! Already got about five orders to drop off a few towns over.”

“I take it that’s your truck out front?”

“You bet! I’ll fill as much as I can into that bad boy. So, if you’re interested, we could figure something out so people from a few towns over can put in a takeout order at your place and I pick it up to deliver to them.”

Tifa’s eyes lit up. “Really? That would be… _wow_ , this town has never had anything like that. Or _any_ of the surrounding places. I’d love that.”

“Perfect!” Zack clapped his hands. “Oh, and while I’m thinking of it, I’m also helping Aerith with her social media accounts for the shop. I don’t know what you’ve got for an online presence, but I majored in marketing, so if you want, I can—”

A door slammed. Tifa and Zack eyed the back room, where Aerith stormed out of with an envelope crumpling in her clutches. Tifa tented her brows and frowned; what could have possibly upset the lovely, chipper girl she couldn’t stop thinking about?

“H-hey, Aerith,” Zack offered, albeit nervously, “how was the call?”

“Oh, just _peachy_.” She flung a drawer open behind the counter, shoved the envelope inside, and forced it shut. “I can’t believe that—”

Her green eyes locked with Tifa’s, who offered a little wave, but Aerith barely blinked.

“Tifa,” Aerith breathed out after a moment. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

“Not to worry,” she replied. “I was just stopping by.” Her heart thumped in her throat while her hand trembled. “I, um… well.” Scooping up the wrapped bundle, she extended it to Aerith. “This is for you.” She averted her gaze and chewed her lip. “From me.”

Aerith didn’t take it immediately. When it shifted in Tifa’s hand, she peeked up to find Aerith gingerly retrieving it to hold to her chest. No smile surfaced, but absolute wonder swelled in her eyes.

“Tifa,” she murmured, “you didn’t have to do that.”

“I-I wanted to,” she blurted out, only to stare at her boots and hope her cheeks didn’t burn blazing red.

Aerith stood there. So did Tifa. As for Zack, he flicked his gaze back and forth.

“Uh… oooookay then!” Zack scooted behind Aerith. “Don’t mind me, I’m just going to… grab these—” He struggled to hold all three pots. Defeated, he settled for a single pot. “—I’m going to grab _one_ of these and load up the truck. Yup. Right now.”

With that, Zack marched out, his absence secured with the delightful chime from the door bell. Tifa peered over her shoulder to be sure they were alone.

“Zack seems really nice,” Tifa said. “I’m glad you have someone around to—”

Returning her head to center, she hitched her breath. Aerith tugged at the ribbon securing her gift.

“Oh, you don’t need to open that now, if you don’t want,” Tifa rushed out. “I showed up unannounced and this is probably bad timing and—”

The ribbon fell and the newspaper sighed open. A small gasp left Aerith. Her eyes widened, then filled with tears.

She wanted to hold her. She wanted to dive across the counter and kiss away those tears and protect her from whatever the hell plagued her. How could anything upset a ray of sunshine like Aerith? She deserved a million tiny things and more and Tifa feared it would never be enough, that whatever she tried to do, maybe her place was just as the bartender next door and not whatever she longed for them to be.

Then Aerith threaded her fingers through the crimson silk scarf as the slightest hint of a smile graced her lips. “Tifa. It’s _beautiful_.”

And Tifa’s heart backflipped into another plane of existence. “You… you like it?”

“Like it?” Aerith giggled, flicking away tears. “I _love_ it. This is… this is _the_ nicest thing I’ve ever owned. Where did you find something like this?”

“The fashion boutique down the street. I was stopping by the other day and saw that and… thought of you.”

Her smile grew, as did Tifa’s.

“Thank you.” Aerith immediately loosened the simple, checkered bandana from her hair and swapped it for the new scarf. “How’s it look?”

Tifa wished she had a picture of Aerith right then. “Perfect.”

Maybe now was a good time to pop the question. See if she had plans the following week. But the waver in Aerith’s voice tugged at Tifa’s heart and told her otherwise.

After a breath, she straightened up and knitted her brows together. “Hey, is everything alright?”

“Oh!” Aerith chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just had to make a call I didn’t want to have. You know, adulting stuff.”

“Yeah, I get that.” And yet Tifa wasn’t entirely convinced. “If you need anything, I—”

The door bell chimed rather abruptly. Zack stumbled in, out of breath.

“Hey, uh, Tifa?” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Is that like, normal or something?”

Tifa squinted, then snapped her eyes wide open. “Oh, crap.”

She reached the front door in several steps with Aerith hot on her heels. Pausing at the curb, Tifa scanned the massive tour bus that squeaked and hissed to a stop. The turquoise exterior depicted a cartoon sun with shades while lounging on a pristine beach. Across the side in obnoxious orange text said _Costa del Sol Cruise Tours._

“You’ve _got_ to be kidding me,” Tifa groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I thought cruise season ended last month. Why are they here now?!”

“Discounted rates, maybe?” Zack offered. “My folks found a sweet deal on a beach resort for next month when no one is around. Wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the—Whoa! Where you going?!”

“It’s the lunch rush!” Tifa shouted back. “And now a bus from Costa del Sol just showed up, packed with people!” She hopped on one foot while trying to turn back to face them. “Sorry, I got to run!”

“Thanks for stopping by!” Aerith waved, her usual smile back on her lovely face. “And thank you again for the gift!” Then there was that signature wink and smirk. “Also _nice_ outfit! You clean up well!”

Tifa almost tripped over a crack in the pavement. She stammered out a reply, if barely formed words even counted as a reply, then sheepishly slipped back into Seventh Heaven.

Still the same people sat at their tables. Tifa placed a hand over her chest and exhaled. _Alright. That_ _’s over with. Now to—_

“Yeah, that was _way_ more than five minutes.” Biggs walked by with a tray of sodas, shaking his head and tsking. “I hope she said yes to that date.”

“Wait, you went over to _see_ her?!” Jessie gawked from the other end of the dining area. “How did I miss—”

“Can we put my love life on hold for a hot minute?” Tifa frantically gestured out the window. “We’ve got cruise people incoming.”

Both Biggs and Jessie rushed to the window, squinted, then gasped. Swearing under their breaths, they darted off to make last-minute preparations. Biggs pushed smaller tables together, Jessie warned the boys in the kitchen, and Tifa lined up the mugs along the bar, knowing full well this crowd was expecting a taste from the local breweries.

“Alright,” Tifa heaved out, bracing the countertop. “Bring it on.”

As if on cue, the front door opened and gave way to the first vibrant pineapple-print shirt tourist.

The blonde girl gasped. “Guys! Oh my _god_! Look at this place! It’s so cozy and rustic!”

“Well,” a rather disgruntled guy from behind her said, “I can’t see _shit_ from back here if you don’t move.”

“Hang on, Reno.” She fished out her smartphone. “I need pictures!”

“Less pictures, more things to fill our stomachs.” He squeezed past her and inspected the place. “Yeesh, you really know how to pick ‘em, Elena.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Another guy stepped in and joined them, adjusting his sunglasses. “Looks fine to me.”

“See?!” She gestured to him. “At least Rude likes it. And _he_ has taste.”

Reno blinked and looked at all of them—at their ridiculous, matching pineapple-print shirts in various, neon colors. “Uh… _yeah_ , taste kind of jumped off the wagon the minute the cruise ship landed.”

“Can we save this for another time?” Yet another guy entered and stood with them—with another matching shirt. “We’ve been on the bus since who knows when—”

“Ass o’clock in the morning?” Reno quipped.

“—and we might as well eat while we can. It might take even longer to get back—”

“Good afternoon, everyone!” Jessie marched into the dining area as more people filtering in. “Welcome to Seventh Heaven! Please take a seat wherever you’d like and we’ll be with you shortly!”

Elena snapped several pictures of the interior. “Oh! Guys! Let’s sit—” She looked up to find her three partners-in-crime already heading to the bar. “Hey, wait up!”

Tifa handed out menus as they sat down one-by-one. “Hey there! Glad you could all stop by. Our daily specials are on the back and our seasonal offerings are on the wall up there. Can I get the four of you something to drink?”

Reno let out a low whistle and leaned over the counter. “Damn, you’re not messing around with those drafts over there.”

Tifa smirked. “We got a draft sampler. Six shots from six local breweries. Gives you a little taste before you upgrade to a mug.”

“Damn, I’m sold.” He nudged his friend. “Want to split one, Rude?”

He peered over his sunglasses and raised a brow. “I’m getting my _own_.”

“Yeah, fair enough.” Reno looked further down the bar. “Tseng? What’s good?”

Tseng was too occupied with scanning the menu to even acknowledge the others. “I’ll take a dry martini.”

Elena groaned. “You get the same thing no matter where we go!”

“Hey, cool it.” Reno waved at her. “We’re on vacation. Everybody gets to do what they want.”

She sighed and looked up at the seasonal menu. “In that case, I’ll take a spiked mulled cider.”

Tifa nodded. “Solid choice. Coming right up.”

After finishing their drink order, she caught sight of Cloud at the end of the bar. Tifa raised a brow; it was far too early into the rush to be busing tables and she imagined Wedge needed all the help he could get. Then Cloud beckoned for her and she held her breath.

“What’s up?” she asked after jogging to him. “Is something—”

He extended a small stack of mail to her. “Some guy knocked on the rear door and had these. Said you left them at Aerith’s place.”

“Oh!” Tifa took the mail and breathed easy again. “Must’ve been Zack. That’s nice of him to bring it over.”

“Yeah.”

“Is… everything alright?”

Cloud rubbed his neck and shrugged. “He… said my hair looked really nice.”

After a beat, a crooked smile tugged at Tifa’s lips. “Did he?”

“Um, yeah? Is that not good?”

Tifa chuckled. “It can be whatever you want it to be, Cloud. Just don’t let Biggs and Jessie catch wind of that, unless you want them starting _another_ bet.”

Cloud blinked, then blushed.

“Hey, don’t worry about it.” She waved the mail at him. “Thanks again for this, Cloud. Now go give Wedge a hand.”

With a nod, Cloud returned to the kitchen, keeping his eyes to the ground. Tifa kept smiling while flipping through the mail.

“Let’s see,” she muttered, “mine, mine, mine, oh geez that’s trash.” She chucked an ‘urgent letter’ from SiriusXM into the waste bin. “Mine, mine… oh, here it is. Hey, Jessie!”

From the thick crowd of customers, Jessie poked her head above into view. “What’s up, boss?”

Tifa waved the thick envelope at her. “Got this for you. Johnny asked me to pass it along.”

“Geez, _again_?!” Jessie hurried behind the bar to grab it. “I don’t live _that_ far up the hill!” Shaking her head, Jessie kept muttering as she headed to the kitchen. “Yeesh, we forget to salt the driveway and the guy slips down it _one time_ and that’s one times too many—”

“Wow, _really_ , Elena?!”

Tifa peeked down the bar while waiting on other customers. It appeared her pineapple-clad patrons were going to be quite the entertainment.

Reno stared at her. “Can we go to at least _one place_ where you don’t take a picture of our food?”

“Technically,” Rude said, “it’s just our drinks, not food.”

“Don’t help her!”

“To be fair,” Tseng added, “they _are_ rather aesthetically pleasing.”

Tifa puffed up her chest at that comment.

“Exactly!” Elena readjusted her smartphone several times. “I need to document this awesome week with you guys so I remember the good times when we get back to the office. And we don’t get cool DIY looking country stuff out in Midgar!”

Reno snorted. “Not without paying an arm and a leg for some hipster crap.”

Rude cocked his head. “You _like_ that hipster crap.”

“Hey, don’t call me out like that! We’re in _public_!”

“Um, excuse me?” Elena waved down Tifa. “Miss?”

After passing along order slips for Wedge, she rushed down to meet them. “Hey, are you ready to order?”

“Not quite.” She extended her smartphone. “Could you take a picture of the four of us?”

Reno rolled his eyes hard enough to throw out his back. “Oh lord, we are _not_ doing this again.”

“You love it and you know it!” Elene looked back to Tifa. “Just a quick one?”

Tifa snickered. “Sure, why not.”

She treated Elena’s smartphone like a delicate glass sculpture while also admiring how sleek the exterior was. And that image—so crisp and colorful! It made Tifa’s hand-me-down phone look like a brick in comparison. As for Elena, she herded her friends to scoot closer and pose for a picture.

“Alright, guys!” Elena bore a wide grin and flashed a peace sign. “Say ‘happy vacation’!”

Reno leaned in and flipped off the camera. “Yay vacation.”

Tifa snorted and snapped multiple shots before handing it back. “Hope those are okay.”

Elena cackled while flipping through them. “Oh, those are perfect! Rude, I swear one day we’re going to get you to smile for these pictures!”

He said nothing, simply staring ahead with a straight face and drinking one of his sample drafts.

“Ah, some things never change.” Elena looked back at Tifa. “Hey, do this place have an Insta account?”

Tifa blinked. “I’m sorry, a what?”

“I want to put these all up on social media. I’d love to tag it!”

She sighed, preparing her usual bit about not having time to mess with computers when she had a business to run. Then she paused and a light bulb went off. “You know what? We’re in the works of getting that up and running, so keep your eyes peeled.”

“Oh, that’s perfect! Thanks so much!”

_I hope you_ _’re good at that stuff, Zack,_ Tifa mused while grabbing appetizers for the counter. _Or else that_ _’s going to be—_

A shriek ricocheted through Seventh Heaven. Biggs dropped a tray of drinks and ran for the kitchen.

“Jessie?” he yelled. “Are you—”

She met him halfway, jumping into his arms for a tight hug. Biggs staggered and held on. While he wobbled, Tifa caught Jessie’s smiling face.

“I did it!” she squealed. “I finally did it!”

“Did what?” Biggs asked, now trying not to suffocate.

Jessie relinquished him from her vice grip and hopped to the ground. She flailed a letter at his face. “An agent finally wrote back about my portfolio! She has auditions set up for me. Audi _tions_! More than one!” Jessie jumped up and down and twirled. “Hey, Tifa! Better start looking for a replacement for Cloud, because he’s taking over for me! I’m going to the Gold Saucer!”

Tifa’s eyes and lips widened. “Are you serious?!”

“Of course I am!” She rushed down to show Tifa the same letter. “I’m signing with this talent agency and they’re going to hook me up with _everything_ I need!”

Jessie continued to ramble as Reno leaned over the bar and snapped his fingers. “Hey, the hell is going on? Something about the Gold Saucer?”

“Jessie’s been sending her pictures and stuff to agents for _years_ ,” a regular next to Reno explained.

“That girl’s been in every school play production until she graduated,” another one chimed in. “Even helped with directing after that.”

“And now I can finally _do_ something with all of that!” Jessie hugged the letter and squealed. “I can be an actress!”

Reno and his squad all gawked at her.

“Wow, that’s so cool,” Elena said.

“Better ask for an autograph now,” Tseng teased.

“Damn, now _that_ _’s_ worthy of a celebration!” Reno whipped out a wallet. “Hey, bartender? How about a round for everyone here on yours truly?”

Rude rubbed his temple. “You didn’t win _that_ much at slots.”

“Pfff, who said I was using that stash. I’m using the company card.”

“I’m pretty sure travel and expenses aren’t going to accept that.”

“Hey, after the startups I found that we made bank on?” He swiped a credit card and gave it to Tifa: a platinum Shinra Angel Investors card. “I think we can live a little. Why else are we on vacation?” He looked to Tifa. “Fill ‘em up, girl.”

Taking the card—damn, it had some heft to it—Tifa cleared her voice and waved a hand. “Alright, everyone!” she yelled. “A round on this guy! For Jessie!”

Applause roared through Seventh Heaven. Biggs aided Tifa in passing out mugs of foaming beer. Laughter and smiles were on every face she encountered. Just the way Tifa liked it.

It gave her pause amidst the chaos, though; if only Aerith was there to celebrate. Whatever she was dealing with, she deserved a break, a reason to smile. Tifa hoped she could be that reason. Maybe not now, but soon. Hopefully.


	5. Chapter 5

“Alright.” Tifa locked the door and flipped the sign in the front window to _sorry, we_ _’re closed_. “So from here, we’d check in on Biggs and Jessie to see if they need a hand with clearing tables. Well, it’ll be Biggs and _Cloud_ in a week, but you know what I mean.” She ambled to the kitchen, gesturing to areas as she talked. “Mop and broom are in the closet over there. We do the floors every day once we’re done. Menus are stashed right here. If there’s any change left on a table, leave it with its order slip on the counter. I’ll take care of the money. And when that’s done, it’s into the kitchen to see what Wedge needs.”

Said kitchen was full of rich scents from the recent batch of freshly baked pumpkin pies to slow roasting chickens in preparation for the next day’s specials. Takeout containers filled every inch of the center table. As for Wedge, he hummed to himself while dropping baskets stuffed with fries into the bubbling oil, paying no attention to whoever entered.

Tifa smiled and looked over her shoulder. “Any questions so far?”

Yuffie stared at her smartphone, more occupied with typing on the screen. “Nope,” she said, albeit a touch bored.

“Um… you sure you got it?”

“Clean stuff, cash goes on the counter, help Wedge with kitchen stuff. Got it.” Yuffie showed her phone to Tifa: a notetaking app detailed the instructions in bullet point form. “Anything else?”

“Uh, no. That’s it for now.” She narrowed her eyes. “Have you been on your phone the whole day?”

Yuffie shrugged and Tifa tried not to groan.

 _I guess this is what I get for hiring a high school student, but it was the best we could do on such short notice._ “Just make sure you’re not using it while working, okay? There’s a lot to do and every minute counts.”

Yuffie jerked her head up with an incredulous look. “Oh, so _I_ can’t be on my phone, but _this_ guy—” She gestured behind Tifa. “—gets a free pass?”

Tifa looked back to find Zack taking pictures of plated food on one of the counters. Something about needing pictures for all the store’s new social media accounts. Whether or not he required ten minutes on each dish was questionable, but if people trusted Tifa to mix their drinks, then she trusted him to cover the marketing side of the business.

His eyes met theirs eventually. “Uh, did I miss something?”

“He’s working right now,” Tifa told Yuffie, “but he’s not going to be here every day doing this.”

“Well, I’ll probably need to stop by once a week to go over stuff, like which posts are more successful and ideas for better SEO and—”

“The point is, Yuffie, that you shouldn’t be glued to your phone when there’s work to be done.”

Rolling her eyes, Yuffie released an overdramatic sigh. “Ugh. _Fine_. Whatever.” She shoved the phone into her back pocket. “Though if anyone starts sounding like my Dad with lectures about the good ol’ days and things were simpler without these ‘dumbphones’, I’m _out_.”

Zack snorted. “Dumbphones. I’m adding it to my vocabulary.”

“I think you’re safe in that department,” Tifa chuckled. “Hey, why don’t you go ask Cloud if he needs a hand out front.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Yuffie spun around and marched back into the dining room. “Hey, spikey! I call dibs on sweeping!”

Tifa released a breath once Yuffie left. “She’s going to be a handful.”

“Nah, she’s going to fit in fine,” Zack said as he resumed his phone photography. “Full of energy like that? She’ll be running circles around everyone else.”

“Says the guy who doesn’t work in the kitchen.”

“Says the guy who is delivering a bunch of the food from this kitchen!”

Tifa chuckled along with him. “Fair enough.” She peeked over his shoulder with wide eyes. “How’s everything going?”

“Think I got all the photos I need!” He approached Tifa and scrolled through his phone. “I can space them out every other day like we talked about. Should be enough to last a month. Honestly, it might not hurt to go every day.”

“How so?”

“I only set stuff of a couple days ago and someone’s already tagged you on Instagram.”

He offered his phone to Tifa and she accepted with care. Flipping through a slideshow of images showcasing Seventh Heaven—the interior, the drinks, the food—Tifa settled on a familiar image she was asked to take for a group of traveling friends.

At the bottom, @elena_turks wrote: _What a gem! Stopped by for food while doing the bus tour with the boys. Everything_ _’s homemade and the poutine is TO DIE for! I need another vacation just to eat here again!_

Tifa’s jaw dropped as she scrolled through the seemingly endless comments. “Oh my goodness, there are so many people talking about this.”

“Right?” Zack said, barely containing his excitement. “I checked out her profile and she’s quite the foodie with an impressive follower count. Maybe not everyone who liked it will show up here, but someone with a platform just put you on the map, so to speak. It wouldn’t hurt to take advantage of the spotlight and push out as much content for the store as possible.”

“Wow.” Tifa handed back his phone. “I’m just glad people enjoy the food and drinks, but this… this is great.”

“And it could lead to something even greater! That’s the plan, right?” He jerked a thumb at himself. “And I’m happy to analyze stuff and maintain it.”

“Speaking of which, did you update about—”

“Got it covered!” A few swipes and Zack pulled up a post, featuring the outer building with graphic icons of leaves and pumpkins. White text occupied the corner, like it was written in chalk: C _losing early for Halloween festivities!_ “Which uh… is that something you guys do every year?”

Tifa opened her mouth, but Wedge beat her to it. “Sure is! We might not be a city, but there’s enough land for all types of farms. Apple orchards, pumpkin patches, maple trees, you name it! I don’t remember when it started as a tradition, but it’s kind of a chill day to celebrate all the hard work everyone’s done with harvest. No better way to do it than on Halloween!”

“Huh, that’s kind of nifty. All we had in Gongaga was trick-or-treating and Midgar was big on costume parties for the older crowd.”

“There’s a little bit of everything once the sun goes down.”

“Oooo, maybe I’ll scout out a party.” Zack looked to Tifa. “Any suggestions?”

“Not my thing,” Tifa said, shaking her head. “I just hole up at home.”

“Aw man! You and Aerith both! Absolutely no fun.”

Tifa ignored the skip in her chest. “She… not into Halloween?”

“Oh no, she _loves_ it, but she always held scary movie marathons until sunrise instead of going out during college.”

Tifa imagined the sassy flower girl curled up with a bowl of popcorn, eyes glued to the television as movie after movie played. She smiled, only to shudder shortly after; spooky stuff always crawled under her skin in the worst way possible. Or maybe Aerith wouldn’t mind if Tifa cowered behind her and under some blankets. Maybe they could snuggle under the premise of protecting one another. Or perhaps—

“Hot stuff coming through!”

Wedge dished out sizzling fries into ten takeout containers and topped them each with ample sprinkles of bacon and brisket, cheese curds, and gravy. With the containers sealed, he handed a slip to Zack.

“Just need to grab the three travel totes for the iced tea and you’re all set,” Wedge said.

Tifa tilted her head. “Is that still going to be hot when it gets there? Rocket Town is a bit of a hike.”

“It sure is!” Zack began stacking the containers. “I got some special bags in the truck for keeping food hot. It’ll be like it came out of the fryer!”

“I guess.” Tifa glanced at the order slip. “I swear this Cid guy spent more on the tea than the poutine. Those things are usually just for catering orders.”

“Hey, if they want to pay for it, I don’t mind driving. Got to keep the hustle up!”

“Just um….” She looked over Zack as he tried to balance more than five containers on top of each other. “Please make more than one trip to the truck. Or else _you_ _’re_ cleaning up whatever mess you make.”

“I haven’t dropped anything!” He wobbled and settled the containers back down to reassess. “Uh… _yet_.”

Cloud walked in carrying a bucket of dirty dishes, eyes set on Zack and his struggle. He slowed down enough for Yuffie to bump into him from behind with another bucket.

“Hey!” Yuffie shouted. “What’s the holdup?”

“Not sure,” Cloud said, still watching Zack’s terrible balancing act as he approached the sink.

Yuffie followed his line of sight and snorted. “Oh geez, _that_ _’s_ not going to end well.”

Cloud tried to unload his bucket, though kept checking on Zack. After the fourth attempt to stack all the containers, Cloud turned and said, “Do you need a hand?

To that, Zack perked up and smiled. “That’d be great, actually! Thanks!”

A hint of a smile teased Cloud’s lips as he left Yuffie in charge of dishes. Zack chatted his ear off while they gathered containers and Cloud looked at him, attentive and curious. Tifa smiled, as well; she couldn’t remember the last time Cloud lit up like that, even a little bit.

Once they exited the kitchen, Yuffie peeked past the sink and whistled. “Yeesh, they both got it bad, don’t they?”

Wedge chuckled. “I’m just glad someone’s not intimidated by Cloud’s broodiness. He’s a softie once you get to know him. It’s nice to see everyone getting along and having something or someone to look forward to.”

“Yeah,” Tifa said, still smiling. “It really is.”

* * *

“Good job today, everyone!” Tifa locked the front door and waved to her staff. “Enjoy the evening and see you all tomorrow.”

Jessie borderline skipped down the street; she hadn’t lost an ounce of excitement since receiving word from her new agent. Biggs headed towards the elementary school, no doubt volunteering yet again for the haunted house they constructed in the gym. Yuffie gave a pseudo-enthusiastic wave as she slipped on a bulky pair of headphones, shoved her hands into her hoodie’s front pocket, and walked off.

Golden light flooded Nibelheim, catching in the fallen leaves and reflecting off the windows of closed buildings. The wind picked up and Tifa remembered to button up her peacoat.

“Hey, did you see where Cloud went?” Tifa asked.

Wedge shrugged. “Not sure. Wouldn’t be surprised if he hitched a ride with Zack on that Choco-whatever delivery he was doing.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “Well, he deserves a break. Tonight’s a good time for that.”

“It certainly is!” He walked alongside Tifa as they left Seventh Heaven. “I got to say—I’m going to miss Cloud keeping me company in the kitchen once he fully takes over Jessie’s spot.”

“Yeah,” Tifa sighed out. “I know she’s just a part-timer and still has school going on, but hopefully Yuffie’s not _too_ much of a handful.”

“Aww, I don’t think that’ll be a problem. We were trading cat videos during break earlier.”

Tifa giggled. “Another cat fan, huh?”

“Hey, if someone doesn’t mind cats, let alone like them, they’re good in my book.”

“That’s promising to hear.” She paused, then, “Just you and the kitties tonight?”

“Yup! Going to give out candy to whoever stops by. I might swing over to the haunted house. Biggs seems excited about it this year and I think more people are stopping by, knowing Jessie’s skipping town next week.”

“Her last performance as the infamous wicked witch. Geez, she scared the hell out of me doing that in high school.”

“You and me both!” Wedge looked both ways before lowering his voice. “Hey, speaking of which, we’re still good for next week, right? With the going away party?”

“Jessie still doesn’t know?” Wedge shook his head and Tifa smirked. “Then we’re still on.”

“Perfect! I dug up some old recipes of her favorites. I figured throughout the week, we could sneak in prep while doing our usual—”

A familiar door bell rang in the air. Tifa stopped and peered to the flower shop. White daisies stuffed in baskets sat in the window along with an assortment of painted pumpkins, but it was the owner herself stepping out which caught Tifa’s attention. Aerith donned a black tulle skirt with a fuzzy orange sweater. Minimal makeup painted her face with whiskers and a distinct cat nose. Two triangle ears poked out from a simple headband. Even her sequin purse was shaped like the face of a black cat.

And for all the dedication to her guise, a crimson silk scarf still held her twisted braid together.

Her eyes widened, followed by her lips. “Tifa! Hey there! You closing up for the day, too?”

“Yup. Just heading back home now.” She glanced to Wedge. “Have you met Aerith?”

“Oh, you mean the cutie next—” He flinched as Tifa struck him with a deadly glare. “Uh, n-no! I don’t think I have! Heard plenty, though!” He cautiously waved. “Nice to finally meet you. I’m Wedge. I cook for Tifa at Seventh Heaven.”

Aerith waved while locking the front door. “Wait, _you_ _’re_ the cook?! Ahh, so I can thank you for that crispy chicken melt! It was _delicious_!”

“You should really thank Tifa’s mom. She’s the one who came up with the recipe. I just follow what she wrote.”

“Well, I think you did a fabulous job.” Aerith hopped down the steps to meet them, eyes falling on Tifa. “Also glad to see good taste runs in the family.”

Tifa fussed with her hair, hoping the setting sun offset whatever blush surfaced on her face. “So, um… were you heading anywhere? There’s the haunted house at the elementary school, but there’s also a hayride out by one of the farms if—”

“Where are _you_ heading?”

Tifa blinked and almost forgot to breathe. “Oh, uh… I’m just going home. Don’t really… have any plans… yet.”

Aerith stepped closer, hands behind her back while she swayed. “Can I walk you home?”

Reality blurred as Tifa’s soul floated elsewhere. _Can you?!_

She stood there, unable to comprehend words or motion or anything to signal a reply. All the while, Aerith smiled and patiently waited.

Then there was Wedge, glancing back and forth between the ladies. “Uh… wow! Would you look at that!” He looked at his bare wrist instead of a watch. “I better head back before the kitties get grumpy about dinner time.” Waving goodbye, Wedge walked ahead at a brisk pace. “It was great meeting you, Aerith! You two enjoy the night!”

He took a right at the intersection and disappeared behind the block. Still not enough time for Tifa to regain her senses.

Aerith leaned in, cocking her head. “So… guess it’s just me and you.”

Tifa managed to nod. “Yup,” she squeaked out.

“You live far from here?”

“Not really.” She gestured down the street. “About a mile walk that way, give or take.”

Her eyes glimmered in the fiery light. “Oh, that’s the same way I’m going!”

Tifa internally squealed. “That’s great!”

Aerith scooted closer, bumped shoulders with Tifa, and batted her eyelashes. “Walk with me?”

After a deep breath, Tifa smiled and said, “Yeah, I’d love to.”

* * *

Leaves swirled in the wind as the sun flickered through the trees. Streetlights sputtered to life one-by-one. The cool air didn’t deter children from wandering the streets in packs for candy, though. Kids dressed as superheroes and monsters ran by Tifa and Aerith, laughing as they approached their next destination.

“This town really gets into the spirit,” Aerith said.

“When you live someplace this small,” Tifa said, “you try to enjoy the things that bring everyone together.”

“That’s so sweet.” She watched the children knock on the door and patiently await their treats, only to have the convincing-looking skeleton sitting on the front porch come to life. They screamed, then laughed. The costumed adult handed out treats and the kids joked about who was the most scared. “It’s so much different from Midgar.”

“How so?”

“It’s mostly apartment complexes. Nobody decorated the hallways, save for the doors. You always see Halloweens in pictures and they look like this.” She opened her arms and spun around. “I always wanted that.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here now. Maybe too old to be out trick-or-treating, but you don’t need to get by on pictures anymore.”

Aerith’s warm smile outshone the remaining sunlight. “That’s for sure.”

Silence drifted between them. Tifa savored it—the two of them walking down the street, leaves crunching under their feet and no one to interrupt them. Sometimes she glanced at Aerith, admiring the bounce in her steps and the curl of her lips. And that scarf, still in her hair.

“Do you like it?” Tifa murmured.

Aerith turned enough to catch her eye. “Hmm? The town?”

“I uh… actually, I meant the scarf. You’re still wearing it.”

“Oh! Yeah. I’ve been wearing it every day.”

_Yeah, I_ _’ve noticed._

“But to answer your question, yes. I like it. I _really_ do. Both the scarf _and_ the town.” Her eyes drifted out in front as she smiled. “I’m glad I came here.”

Tifa couldn’t keep her eyes off Aerith. “It’s been what, a month now?”

“Something like that.”

“I know there’s not much to Nibelheim, but—”

“There doesn’t have to be.”

Something shifted in Aerith’s profile, as if a memory visited her. The lovely expression Tifa adored shifted to a more bittersweet one, but Aerith smiled, nonetheless.

“Sometimes,” she murmured, her voice almost lost to the breeze, “all that matters is if you’re happy. No matter where you are or what you’re doing… if it makes you smile, if it makes your heart feel full, if it makes you forget about the world around you—” She tilted her head to Tifa, a stunning image bathed in fading, golden light. “—then you don’t need anything else.”

Tifa wanted to keep walking. Her house grew closer, but she longed to pass it and go wherever Aerith went. Or maybe there wasn’t a destination and what mattered was the time they shared, exchanging glances and brushing fingertips with each step.

“Yeah,” Tifa breathed out. “I get that.”

And both Aerith’s lips and eyes smiled in return.

But the place she called home crept into view and Tifa slowed to a shuffle. If only they didn’t have to part ways.

“So,” Tifa said, pausing by the open wooden gate, “this is my stop.”

Aerith brought her attention to the house in the sweep distance. Tucked beneath oak trees was a modest, two-story home, painted a deep cherry with white trim. Illuminated jack o’ lanterns sat on the front porch alongside posed, plastic skeletons. Nothing complicated—just a simple country home nestled in a small town.

And yet Aerith gasped and clapped her hands together. “ _This_ is _your_ place?!”

“Uh.” Tifa fidgeted and smiled. “Yeah. It’s the only place I’ve ever lived in.”

“Oh my goodness! I walk by this place every morning and night and always stop to look at it because it’s _so cute_!” She pointed at the shrubs in the shade. “Look at those little hostas in the front—the mouse-ears!” Then she continued to point at other objects. “And that bench on the porch! And the stone steps leading to the front door! And that bird feeder in the windowsill!” With a dreamy sigh, Aerith swayed to face Tifa. “It’s like it’s from a dream! I love it!”

“Thanks. I’m glad you do.” Tifa kicked a peddle and swallowed down whatever anxiety bubbled in her stomach. “I, uh… really love stopping by your shop in the morning.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Tifa stared at the ground, fussing with the hair that fell in her eyes. “You always have these lovely displays in the window and everything inside has this whimsical charm to it. I love how calm and eclectic it is. I always have to peek in and see if you’ve done anything different.”

Aerith’s rugged boots popped into view. “Is that all?”

Tifa hitched her breath. So close, and yet—

“What do you mean?” Tifa asked, already knowing the answer.

Aerith dipped in to catch her eye, the tips of their noses ghosting one another. “I was starting to think you were interested in more than just the flowers.”

Lifting her gaze ever-so-slightly, Tifa licked her lips. “You wouldn’t be wrong.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.”

Aerith traced the lapels of Tifa’s peacoat. “You know,” she drew out, “you can do more than look.”

Her heart pounded in her chest, her throat, her head, absolutely everywhere. “You think so?”

At least Aerith laughed. “Of course!” She gripped the wool fabric and tugged Tifa closer. “I know _I_ do.”

For all the dreams she imagined with them together, none included this. She envisioned grandiose romantic gestures, where every worry was barely an echo amidst their laughter. However, Tifa didn’t hesitate at the simplicity—of standing on the streets with Aerith after sharing a stroll. The wind enveloped them, as if nature approved. It was like Aerith said—if they were happy, then what else mattered? Maybe others required a fancy dinner and lavish gifts, but she was fine with anything so long as Aerith was there.

Tifa tilted her head and Aerith sank into her and their eyelashes brushed one another’s cheeks and—

“This house! This is the house! The one with the bags of chips!”

They broke apart in a stupor; Tifa almost tripped off the curb while Aerith wobbled. A group of kids bolted by them, each dressed as one of the four warriors of light from myths. Several adults lingered behind and waved to Tifa while the kids approached the door and knocked.

“Well then,” Aerith said with a snicker, “I guess I should know better than to get in the way of some kiddos and their Halloween loot.”

“Y-yeah,” Tifa replied, hoping her face wasn’t the same shade as the red mage’s hat, “our house is pretty popular.”

Aerith raised an eyebrow. “Our?”

The front door opened and the kids held out pillowcases as they cried, “Trick or treat!”

A middle-aged woman with long black hair grinned. “Oh, aren’t you all the sweetest little things! I bet you’re all the warriors of light!” The kids giggled. “Let’s see, we have a fighter, a white mage, a red mage, and—”

“I’m a black mage!” one of the kids proclaimed, struggling to keep his massive hat upright.

“That you are! And you know what adventurers need to save the day?” She grabbed a nearby basket and plopped a small bag of chips in each one’s pillowcase. “Delicious fuel!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Lockhart!” they replied in a sing-song manner.

As she waved goodbye, the kids scurried down the path to resume their quest for more treats. The chaperones waved and greeted the woman in the doorway before following the children. Aerith smiled, fawning over the children’s outfits, yet Tifa couldn’t ignore the look narrowing onto her from across the yard.

“Tifa? Is that you?”

Cracking a sheepish smile, she waved back. “Hey, Mom. Sorry if I’m late.”

“Oh nonsense! You’re just in time.” Then she squinted past her daughter. “Who is that with you? I haven’t seen that face before.”

“Hey there! I’m Aerith!” She waved. “I work at the flower shop right next to Seventh Heaven.”

Tifa tried not to smack her face as her mother grinned. “That new shop I hear everyone talking about?! You have a neighbor and you never thought to bring her over to visit?!”

“ _Mom_ ,” Tifa groaned, “she’s as busy as I am—”

“Well, why don’t you two come inside and we can talk more over some tea. It’s getting darker out, anyways! Oh, have you eaten yet, Aerith? We’ve got dinner cooking, too.”

“Um, I’m sure Aerith has plans for tonight, Mom.”

“Actually,” Aerith butted in, “I don’t have much going on, save for watching horror movies until I fall asleep.”

Tifa’s eye twitched. _Oh right. Zack mentioned that. Lovely. Still not helping._

“Then come on in!” Tifa’s mother beckoned for them as she stepped inside. “The more, the merrier.”

Blowing out a breath, Tifa rubbed her eyes and muttered, “I apologize in advance for whatever fiasco may or may not happen.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it,” Aerith said, nudging Tifa as they approached the front steps. “It can’t be that bad if I get to spend more time with you.”

When she said it like _that_ , it wasn’t a terrible idea. Hopefully, her parents didn’t scare away Aerith in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has now turned into a 5 and a half plus 1 things fic, because my hand slipped and things got out of control. Stay tuned and enjoy! 💕


	6. Chapter 6

The front door opened to a small mudroom, which led to a living room. Two armchairs and a sofa circled a lit fire, draped in quilts and stuffed with mismatched pillows. Faded, yet colorful rugs covered the squeaky, wooden floors. Beyond the room was a modest kitchen with a dining table nestled in a nook, flanked by windows. Every available surface was covered in framed pictures and decorative knick-knacks. The scent of cheese and cinnamon permeated the air, perfecting the cozy aesthetic that beckoned Tifa and Aerith inside.

Now if only her mother would stop hovering over their impromptu guest.

“Come in!” she said as they kicked off their boots. “Make yourself at home, Aerith. Dinner should be ready soon, but I can put on the kettle for some tea.”

Tifa raised a brow as her mother shuffled into the kitchen. “Mom, do you need a hand?”

“Oh no,” she called from the kitchen. “You can relax with Aerith. Sweetheart! We have a guest!”

A head poked out from an armchair to gaze at the two ladies emerging from the mudroom. “Looks like we do! A new friend of yours, Tifa?”

She tried not to wince at that title. _Is there even a word for the girl you_ _’ve been crushing on, who also almost kissed you a second ago?_ “Dad, this is Aerith. She runs the flower shop next to Seventh Heaven.”

Aerith hopped into view and waved. “Hey there! It’s great to meet you.”

At least he smiled. “I heard about that shop of yours. Lots of people happy to have fresh flowers downtown without having to grow their own. It’s quite the treat.”

“I’m happy everyone’s enjoying them! This place has been treating me well.” Her eyes flicked to Tifa. “Your daughter has done _really_ well at making me feel welcomed.”

Tifa tried not to glare a hole through Aerith. _You are not helping!_

“Wonderful!” her father chimed in. “That’s our Tifa! Always helping others out. You should’ve seen her when she was a little kid—”

“Dad.”

“—and she’d sneak into the kitchen when we were still running the tavern—”

“ _Dad_.”

“—and dump in a whole bag of sugar into the apple compote for the pies—”

“Yup! Great story, Dad!” Tifa nervously laughed and patted his shoulder as she passed him. “ _Real_ classic. I’m sure Aerith has already heard most of them.”

“No, I haven’t!” Aerith protested and Tifa almost tripped over the coffee table. “I’d love to hear more bitty Tifa stories, though. They sound precious!”

Heaving out a sigh of defeat, Tifa turned for the kitchen. “Alright, you two enjoy embarrassing stories about me.”

Barely two steps into the kitchen, ceramic dishes clattered in the sink. Her mother muttered under her breath while reclaiming whatever fell. Tifa gingerly slipped in, tucked hair behind her ears, and peeked around her mother.

“Hey, you want me to work on that, Mom?”

“No, I’ll be alright,” she replied, albeit exhausted. “Darn mug slipped out of my hand. Sounded worse than it looked.”

Tifa grabbed their loose-leaf supply from a cabinet along with a pot of honey. “How long have you been working in the kitchen?”

“Not too long.”

Flipping on the oven light, Tifa peeked inside, then sighed. “There’s a casserole _and_ an apple pie?”

“It’s not much.”

“Did you at least ask Dad for help?”

Her mother frowned briefly. “His back was acting up again, so he’s been taking it easy.”

“You should be, too, Mom.” Tifa placed a tender hand on her shoulder. “Making dinner and answering the door for trick-or-treaters _and_ getting tea together? I don’t want you hurting tomorrow.”

Her mother’s eyes drifted to the living room, where Aerith sat opposite of her father. Both chatted with utter abandon. Chuckles laced the air. And always smiling.

“It’ll be worth it,” her mother murmured, the corner of her lips curling up.

Tifa shook her head, yet smiled, as well. “You say that now.”

“And I mean it!”

“Well, how about I take over tea duty and you man the front door?”

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Her mother perked up, no longer burdened by whatever ailments hindered her physical form. The door opened to a new pack of kids dressed as various chocobos. More chips to divvy out, more smiles thanking her mother. Even Aerith peered out the window to gush over the cuties leaving with their bouncing tail feathers.

It was like she belonged there—Aerith sitting by the fireplace and chatting with Tifa’s parents like old friends. Despite the more embarrassing recollections, Tifa smiled and focused on tea, knowing Aerith was in good company.

The tea kettle howled. Hot water filled each mug and the tea bags steeped. Tifa peeked back to Aerith, loving how the glow from the fire highlighted her features. It reflected off her silk scarf like a gem. Even her eyes dazzled in the flickering flames. For a fleeting moment between giggles, Aerith locked eyes with Tifa and winked.

_I hope she likes it here,_ Tifa kept to herself as she finished up their tea. _It_ _’s not much… and_ definitely _a last-minute invitation_ _… but she deserves to feel welcomed._ Tifa’s smile widened. _I_ _’m glad she can be here and not alone tonight._

Situating the mugs on a tray along with honey, lemon slices, and cream, Tifa carried the tea into the living room. “So how many childhood stories of mine have you disclosed?”

“Haven’t hit double digits yet,” her father teased.

“I didn’t realize you were such the troublemaker,” Aerith added.

Tifa settled the tray on the coffee table. “It wasn’t _that_ bad.”

“Used to get weekly calls from the school,” her mother said. “I remember that time when you had that field trip up in the mountains and—”

“I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

Her mother cackled while grabbing a mug of tea. “The second they told me my daughter scaled one of the cliffs and they didn’t have a ladder tall enough to get her to come down, I thought, ‘Yup! That one’s mine!’”

Aerith snorted as Tifa sat next to her. “At least you were a better climber than me.”

“Eh, not by much,” she said, fixing her mug with honey and cream. “I earned my fair share of bruises growing up.” She paused and glanced at Aerith. “How’s your hand doing, by the way?”

Aerith blinked. “Oh! That!” She opened her left palm, not a mark on it. “Healed up like a charm. I almost forgot about it.”

“Forgot about what?” her father asked.

“A couple weeks ago,” Aerith began, “I was fixing the sign above my shop and—”

Tifa paled mid-sip on her tea.

“—luckily, Tifa was there to catch me before I fell!” Aerith shimmied her shoulders. “Guess I should take some climbing lessons from you!”

“Oh, I heard about that!” her mother exclaimed. “The neighbors mentioned something about someone getting hurt by Seventh Heaven and—”

Tifa stared at her vague reflection in the tea with a tight smile.

“—well, if anyone was going to swoop in and save you, it’s our girl! You should see her workout routine in the mornings—”

“Hey, is everyone enjoying their tea?” Tifa nervously chuckled.

To her delight, everyone smiled and thanked her for the hot drinks. Even better, the conversation veered from her embarrassing youth—or recent adult ventures—to more practical topics. Her father talked about the convenience store stocking winter holiday decorations and her mother gushed about the high school’s upcoming concert she helped arrange. Sometimes the doorbell rang and they took turns answering and handing out chips. Even Aerith bounced up to greet the eager children.

“You’re not Mrs. Lockhart,” one of the kids said.

“Nope!” Aerith curled her fingers and pawed the air. “I’m the new house cat!”

The children giggled. “Nuh-uh! You’re too big for a cat!”

“And cats don’t talk!” another added.

“Maybe I’m under a magical spell,” Aerith said, wiggling her fingers for emphasis. “Stuck between forms and gifted with this voice!”

Tifa leaned into the sofa and smiled. For someone who arrived out of thin air in Nibelheim, she acted as if she grew up there her whole life. The notion brought other ideas to Tifa’s mind—of attending school with Aerith, eating lunch out by the park, dressing up and sharing Halloween, studying on the weekends, and silly sleepover parties. Then her thoughts shifted—to slipping Valentines in each other’s lockers, passing notes when the teacher wasn’t looking, asking one another out to prom, and sneaking out to a summer party by the woods. Maybe in another life, they could’ve shared those moments; for now, Tifa settled with meeting her a month ago and spending every minute—waking and dreaming—thinking of _her_.

“Those kids,” Aerith said, plopping back down next to Tifa, “are just so darn cute! They must be having a blast tonight.”

“I’m sure you helped make it memorable for them,” Tifa said.

Aerith hid a smile behind her mug of tea. “I definitely try.”

Her eyes lingered on Tifa’s. Even as they dove back into conversation, Tifa glanced to Aerith and caught her catching a glimpse, as well. The sun faded behind the trees and their mugs emptied. With the warmth of the fireplace and each other’s company, Tifa lost track of time. Sometimes she swore her pinkie brushed over Aerith’s—a reminder she wasn’t alone. Again Tifa looked her way and was met with dazzling, green eyes.

Maybe instead of seconds, Tifa could count the times they touched, even the feather-light exchanges. Maybe then, time would stretch long enough for them to enjoy more than an eternity together. Maybe it would be enough.

* * *

“Aerith, sweetie, would you like some more?”

An iron chandelier hung over the dining table, its dim glow casting warm light over the four of them as they ate. Steam still rose from the chicken, broccoli, and cheese casserole in the center while Tifa’s mother carved another helping for her own plate. As for Aerith, she gulped down her apple cider and shook her head.

“No thanks! I’m not sure I can eat another bite, but it was delicious.”

Tifa smirked. “I’m glad you tagged along to help with dinner. I can’t imagine just the three of us eating this.”

Aerith wiggled in her seat. “Maybe your mom knew I was coming!”

“Honestly? I wouldn’t even be surprised.”

“Mothers just know these things!” she said, grabbing Tifa’s plate to plop a scoop of casserole on it. “And Aerith, we can send you home with a doggy bag if you’d like.”

Aerith’s eyes widened. “You sure? I’d hate to impose.”

“Not at all! I insist.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Lockhart. Worst case scenario, I can have Zack help me eat some of it.”

Tifa’s father looked up from his plate. “That’s your tech-savvy friend you mentioned earlier?”

Aerith nodded. “Yup! He’ll take food as payment for whatever work he’s doing for me.”

“Same with me,” Tifa added. “I almost feel bad. He’s done so much in just a week. I just hope it’s not too much for him, especially with his ChocoGo stuff he’s doing on the side.”

“Choco-what?” her father asked while chewing.

“Oh, let me show you!” Aerith took out her smartphone. “It’s all the rage in Midgar and with nothing set up out here, he took advantage of that and is now the county’s dedicated ChocoGo guy.” She glanced at Tifa and smiled. “He’s always been like that—needing to keep busy. He’s so quick with social media that he gets bored when waiting between updates and emails. The way I see it, this is keeping him sharp.”

“I hope so,” Tifa said. “The tavern’s already getting attention thanks to his help.”

Her mother raised an eyebrow. “How’s that?”

Aerith leaned over to show her father the delivery app while Tifa fished out her dated phone, complete with a shattered screen. After navigating a few links, she pulled up the Instagram profile of the recent tourist who showcased Seventh Heaven to show her mother. Tifa smiled as both her parents’ eyes widened.

“Sweetheart, did you see—”

“Oh, come look at this over here—”

They passed smartphones around. Aerith explained the process and concepts better than Tifa could. Not that she minded; it simply meant more time for Tifa to sit and admire Aerith as her bubbly, talkative self.

“Someone to pick up items for me from just about anywhere in the county?” Her mother clapped her hands. “Where was this a decade ago when I needed it?”

“Tifa!” Her father handed her phone back with a grin. “You’re going to have those TV food hosts knocking at your door wanting to showcase Seventh Heaven if you keep that up!”

She tried not to roll her eyes, yet smiled all the same. “Dad, some foodie online posted her vacation pictures. I doubt it’s going to go viral overnight.”

He wagged a finger at her. “Well, when it happens, I’ll be here to say I told you so!”

They all laughed as the grandfather clock by the staircase chimed. Her mother leaned in her seat to check the time.

“Seven already?” She shook her head. “This night is flying by.”

Aerith blinked. “Is it?” She looked out a window and pouted. “Geez, I should’ve realized how late it was getting.”

“I thought you didn’t have plans tonight?” Tifa asked

“Oh, I don’t, but I need to be up early enough to open the shop.” She scrolled through her phone. “I can ping Zack to see if he’s not busy and give me a ride back.”

“How far is your place from here?” Tifa’s father asked.

“About half a mile? I’m in that apartment complex by the intersection.”

“Oh, the refurbished mill? Glad it’s going to good use.”

“Yeah, it’s not _too_ far. I can just walk back if—”

“Aerith, sweetie,” Tifa’s mother butted in gently, “don’t go walking home in the dark.” Then she perked up. “You’re welcome to stay the night, if you’d like!”

Tifa almost choked on the last bite of casserole.

“Great idea!” her father added. “Some people around here have a little _too_ much fun on Halloween night. Mostly out-of-towners visiting. Wouldn’t want you to get mixed up in any of that.”

Aerith sat there, speechless and blushing. “Oh, that’s… wow, I already feel like I’m intruding enough—”

“Nonsense! If your Zack friend doesn’t show up, the sofa’s a pullout bed. And we have some spare toiletries.”

“Rather be safe and all that.” Tifa swore her mother shot her a wink. “Isn’t that right, dear?”

Washing down whatever she coughed up with cider, Tifa nodded. Maybe a bit too enthusiastically. “Yeah, no. That’s completely fine. Besides, like you said—Zack can’t sit still for an hour and if he’s tied up then, uh….” Tifa chewed her lip and traced the edge of her glass. “I can make breakfast in the morning?

Aerith’s lips grew into a radiant smile. “Count me in!”

* * *

Her mother inched upstairs to show Aerith the bathroom while Tifa cleaned the table with her father. An apple pie cooled on a counter overlooking the sink as Tifa washed each dish by hand.

“I’m glad you brought Aerith over,” her father said, a tender quality marking his words. “What a sweet girl! She’s welcomed over any time, you know.”

Tifa drew in a deep breath, ignoring her rapid pulse. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll let her know. Maybe, uh… next time it’s a little more planned.”

“Perhaps. Sometimes the best things happen when you least expect them.”

_Can_ _’t argue with that._ “Hey, how’ve you been holding up? Mom mentioned your back wasn’t behaving.”

“When is it?” He brought over the last of the dishes and began drying what Tifa had cleaned. “Some days are worse than others. Need to enjoy those moments when things are alright.” He nudged her. “Having a change of pace for the night helps keep my mind off of the pain.”

Tifa giggled, yet her smile soured. “If you need to visit the doctor again, I can—”

“Don’t worry about it, Tifa. Besides, if I can figure out how to get that ChocoGo on my phone, I might ask Zack to pick me up some things from the pharmacy a couple towns over.” He beamed. “Might even pick up groceries for your mother.”

“That is if she’ll _let_ you.”

He sighed, but his smile remained. “I don’t know how she does it. Before you came home with Aerith, she was thinking about calling it a night, maybe leave a basket out with the chips for the kids to take.”

Tifa stopped scrubbing, eyes set on her father. He continued to rub each dish, glass, and utensil dry.

“She would’ve cooked up a ten-course meal if she could,” he said, a touch nostalgic. “Nothing makes her smile more than helping others. You take after her in that department.” He glanced at Tifa. “She’s proud of you, you know. We both are. You’ve done more with the tavern than we have since we opened it. But don’t forget to slow down and do something for yourself now and then.”

“Dad….”

“You’re still young, Tifa. I don’t want you falling apart because you pushed yourself too hard.” After a paused, he bumped her shoulder. “Think that Aerith might help you out with that.”

“What?!”

He smirked beneath his bushy mustache. “Don’t think I didn’t see you looking at her when you thought she wouldn’t notice.”

She tossed up her hands. “This is why I never invite anyone over anymore, Dad!”

He chuckled and patted her shoulder. “For what it’s worth? I also saw her doing the same with you.”

Whatever frustrations boiled in Tifa immediately simmered down. She cracked a small smile and resumed cleaning dishes, imagining the glances Aerith made when no one else was looking.

The stairs creaked as Tifa and her father tucked away clean dishes. Her mother inched down with bedsheets in her arms, taking deep breaths with each step.

“Sweetheart,” her father called out and met her halfway, albeit with stiff and slow, “let me take care of the bedding. You go sit down.”

He gave her a peck on the cheek before heading into the sofa. As for Tifa’s mother, she shuffled to the kitchen, her features brightening upon seeing her daughter.

“I gave Aerith a quick tour upstairs,” she said. “She’s washing up right now. Your father and I will be reading down here, but if you two need anything—”

“We’ll be fine, Mom.” Tifa gave her a gentle, yet heartfelt hug. “We’re going to take it easy tonight. You should, too.”

She patted Tifa’s back and chuckled. “Think I’ve had enough fun to last me to the end of the year, but it was worth it.”

“Thanks again, Mom,” Tifa said while pulling back. “For letting Aerith visit and staying over and—”

“Oh, it’s nothing! I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen you light up around someone else.” One last squeeze and her mother let go. “You two enjoy the rest of the night.”

With that, Tifa scurried up the stairs, each step groaning under her weight. A narrow hallway split into two directions at the top. Down the right were a small study and the master bedroom. To the left was a full bathroom and past that, Tifa’s room. She turned in that direction, looking over the ajar door to the bathroom. Water ran and movement shifted through the cracks. Tifa smiled. _I can_ _’t believe she’s in my house. Holy crap, I can’t believe she’s staying over!_

Tifa flicked the lights on in her room. Muted, warm tones washed over the furnishings from the faded wallpaper to the piano by her bed. It was small, much like the rest of the house, but it was enough space for what Tifa needed: mostly a place to rest and somewhere to stash her clothes. Everything else was decoration as far as she was concerned.

Closing the blinds, she traded her work uniform for something more comfortable. She sighed and stretched, donning a white tank top and black jogging shorts with a matching hoodie.

“Much better,” she said, loosening the ties to her low ponytail.

The water turned off from the bathroom. By the time Tifa poked out of her room, Aerith emerged with a content sigh. Her makeup was no more and she, too, unraveled her hair. The silk scarf wrapped around her wrist instead. As for her fuzzy orange sweater, it draped over her arm while she wore an oversized t-shirt displaying a campfire under a starry sky with _Cosmo Canyon_ across the front. No doubt a loaner from her mother. _She still helps even if you say no,_ Tifa mused with a smile.

“Oh hey!” Aerith shuffled over to her. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting. Your mom gave me uh… one too many options to pick from for washing my face. I feel like I need to pay her for an unexpected spa session!”

Tifa giggled. “She’s good like that.”

“Also while I was doing that—” She retrieved her phone and showed it to Tifa. “—I heard back from Zack.”

Tifa leaned in. The screen showcased a text message, starting with Aerith asking: _Hey what are you up to right now?_ An image from Zack lingered below—a selfie of him in front of the elementary school. Looking over his shoulder was none other than Cloud. A bit confused, but somewhat humored by Zack’s enthusiastic antics.

_Just got back from Rocket Town!_ Zack wrote in response. _Cloud suggested the haunted house, so we_ _’re going to check it out. What about you?_

“Seems like he’s got the rest of his night figured out,” Tifa said. “Which works out, seeing my parents already made up the bed downstairs.”

“Even better! More reason _not_ to ask him for a ride.” She swayed from side to side. “Besides, I’m washed up, I’m in comfy clothes… it’s like I’m back at my place winding down!” She blinked. “Well, except I’m not in a studio apartment eating ramen and hoping the wifi signal is good enough on my phone to stream horror movies.”

“Well,” Tifa drew out, “it might not be _that_ , but um….” She gestured behind her. “I have a TV in my bedroom. I can rearrange the pillows on my bed and we can curl up and watch some stuff?”

Aerith’s eyes lit up. “Really?! That’d be great! Lead the way!”

Barely two steps into the bedroom, Aerith squealed and flailed.

“This is your _room_?!” she squeaked out.

Tifa blushed. “Yeah, it’s nothing special—”

“Nothing _special_?! Look at these cute teddy bears you have on this dresser! And that corkboard with photos over your desk! And—” She gasped. “—a piano?! Can you play it?”

“Uh, I used to. I’m sure if I put my mind to it, I could pick it back up, but it’s been a while.”

“That’s amazing! I’d love to hear you play if you ever do.”

_I_ _’m going to burn a hole through the floor if you keep making me blush._

With the pillows situated, Tifa switched the TV on. “Hey, do you know what channel they do marathons on?”

“Oh, I think it’s… channel six out here? It was forty-five back in Midgar, but there are not many basic options out here. Should still get the spookathon, though. Just look for the tonberry logo at the bottom.”

Flipping through several channels, Tifa spotted the elusive creature with its lantern and knife. “Ah, here we go!”

“Perfect!”

And Aerith turned the lights off and Tifa almost screamed.

“What are you doing?!” Tifa yelped.

“Uh… turning the lights off?” Aerith replied, quite puzzled. “Something to set the mood? Movies are always better in the dark, right?”

Tifa fumbled through the shadows until she pawed the lamp on her nightstand. With a small beacon of light secured, she remembered to breathe. “It doesn’t need to be _that_ dark!”

Aerith’s contorted face gradually relaxed and shifted to a more devious expression. “Are you scared of the dark?”

“W-what, me? No!”

“Scary movies too much?”

“I’m not scared!” Tifa folded her arms, though the tremble in her body overwhelmed whatever defiant stance she took. “Movies are no big deal. They’re not real, right?”

Aerith giggled. “Tifa, we don’t need to watch the spookathon.”

Tifa pouted. “But… you watch it all the time. Zack said that was your tradition.”

“Sure, but I’ve seen all of them a dozen times. If it’s not your thing, we can do something else.” Her eyes widened. “Oh, I know!” Grabbing the remote from Tifa, Aerith flipped through the channels until she settled on a children’s station. “They got Halloween cartoons playing until midnight. Nothing too scary or gory—just quality spoopy stuff!”

Sitting on her bed, Tifa released a shaky breath. “I think I can handle that. Kid stuff is more my speed when it comes to things.” She paused. “I scare easily, though. Some kids spooked me badly when we were in third grade at the haunted house. Been jumpy since then.”

“Oh, what a bunch of meanies!” Aerith plopped down next to her. “Not to worry.” She clung onto Tifa’s arm and winked. “I’ll protect you!”

Heat spread across Tifa’s face; maybe she _could_ spend the night curled up in blankets and cowering into her.

“Speaking of haunted houses—” Aerith dug out her phone, swiped the screen several times, and lifted it above. “—smile!”

Tifa raised her eyebrows. “What?”

“I never replied to Zack’s text! Figured if he sent me a selfie at the haunted house, then I’m going to send one back with us!”

Before Tifa could protest, Aerith snapped several pictures. She flipped through them and giggled.

“These are great!” she said. “What do you think about this one?”

She showed Tifa an image of them: Aerith rested her head on Tifa’s shoulder while winking and sticking her tongue out and Tifa gazed into the lens with parted lips and blushing cheeks.

“Wow.” Tifa rubbed her neck. “Wish I was a bit more photogenic in that.”

“You look amazing! The light catches in your eyes just right.” Aerith beamed. “It’s like they’re rubies.”

_No, I imagined that. Just like I_ _’m imagining Aerith here… in my room… on my bed… with her head on my shoulder._

“So send it?” Aerith asked, giddy as ever.

“It’s got my approval.”

Wiggling in place, Aerith sent the image to Zack with a quick text: _Movie night with Tifa! ParaNorman_ _’s playing right now. Going to have a blast!_

“I hope he has fun with Cloud,” Tifa said as Aerith stashed away her phone.

“Same here! I heard a bunch of customers talk about the haunted house. I’d love to go one year.”

Tifa hitched her breath. “Think you’ll stick around that long?”

“Of course! See no reason to uproot and leave any time soon. It’s a great location for business and a home.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Some great company, too.”

Tifa averted her eyes and chuckled. While searching for the right words for a reply, the commercials ended and the movie resumed. 

“Oh, perfect timing!” Aerith said. “This is a good one. I think you’ll like it!”

Tifa managed to relax into the mountain of pillows. Aerith leaned into her, loosening her hold on her arm, yet never straying. They giggled and gasped together throughout the stop-motion feature. Far more tolerable than the thrillers Tifa braced herself for. Even as the themes veered down an emotional path, Aerith rubbed her back, as if to soothe her as the feels passed through.

She was so absorbed in the movie that she never noticed the stairs creaking. The knock on her semi-open door, however, left Tifa yelping and hiding behind Aerith.

“Are you alright, Tifa?” Her mother nudged the door open with her foot. “Oh, don’t you two look comfy!”

Aerith snickered and patted Tifa’s head. “It’s just your mom.”

Tifa peeked over Aerith’s shoulder. “Mom, you scared the crap out of me!”

“Sorry, sweetie!” She lifted a tray full of goodies while shuffling in. “The pie finally cooled down and thought I’d bring up some desserts for you two.”

After a deep breath, Tifa sat upright. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I don’t have to do a lot of things, but I wanted to do this.”

Once at the edge of the bed, she settled the tray onto the mattress. Homemade whipped cream sat on top of thick apple pie slices. Steam rose from two mugs, each containing rich hot chocolate. A bowl of marshmallows sat in the middle along with forks, spoons, and napkins.

“Awww, thank you, Mrs. Lockhart!” Aerith said.

“Thanks, Mom.” Tifa plopped a handful of marshmallows into her drink. “Perfect timing, too. We’re watching a movie.”

Her mother beamed. “Even better! Well, you two enjoy. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“We’re good, Mom,” Tifa chuckled out.

She waved while shuffling out the door, leaving it open ajar in her departure. Once the creaking steps died out, Tifa breathed easy and claimed her slice of pie.

“Sorry about that,” Tifa said. “She gets excited whenever there’s something new in her day. Kind of goes overboard, but… she means well.” Carving out a piece, Tifa shovel some pie into her mouth and moaned. “This stuff’s delicious, though. It’s the same recipe we have over at Seventh Heaven if you ever want to—”

Aerith sat there, holding her mug in both hands and staring at a blank portion of the wall. Something shifted in her features; Tifa couldn’t pinpoint it, yet it plummeted her heart.

“Um… Aerith?” she said as gently as possible. “Is everything alright?”

She turned to Tifa and smiled, but it was the tears welling in her eyes that said otherwise. “Your mom’s really great. So is your dad. They’re both so nice and….” She brought a loose fist to her eyes to dry them, or try to. “I’m sorry, I’m being selfish right now.”

Tifa cocked her head. “Selfish? _How_? Aerith, you’re our guest.”

“We should be watching the movie and enjoying this… this nice spread your mom did for us and I can’t help but think that… I just wish I had something like this. For my own.”

Settling her plate back on the tray, Tifa lowered the volume to the television and turned to Aerith. “Hey, what’s up?” She rested a hand on Aerith’s shoulder. “Did something happen? I can bring this back downstairs if you don’t want it.”

“No, this is great,” she coughed up, gesturing to the tray of goodies. “I just didn’t expect it to remind me of things.”

Tifa’s heart sank further. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to… but I’m here if you do. Now or whenever.”

Aerith cradled her hot chocolate to her chest. Tears trickled down her face. Only the murmurs of the television and occasional breeze outside filled the silence.

Then Aerith drew in a deep breath and found her voice again.

“Did Zack tell you anything?” she asked. “About why I came here?”

Tifa shook her head. “No. Just that you two were college friends.”

Her lips quirked into a short-lived smile. “That’s sweet of him—not sharing my life with others. He’s a good guy.”

“That’s what friends do best,” Tifa said, caressing her shoulder. “They stick together.”

Aerith nodded, took a sip of hot chocolate, and sniffled. “I remember he had a hard time finding a marketing job because he just… cared too much. He didn’t like leaving his empathy at the door just to launch an ad campaign. He didn’t want to trick people; he wanted to help them.” She paused. “I wish it had been as easy to leave Midgar for me as it was for him.”

Tifa held her tongue. She sipped her hot chocolate, rubbed Aerith’s shoulder and arm, and locked her eyes on her. Whatever thoughts bubbled in her mind, it could all wait. Aerith was always worth that wait.

“My parents,” Aerith continued, “are both medical researchers. It pays a lot in Midgar and… we had a good life. I had so much of my future planned. I didn’t even have to _apply_ for college; a few good words from my Dad and I had a spot. No problem.” She hugged her knees to her chest and leaned into Tifa, nestling her mug against a cheek. “I had a job the day after I graduated, but… it wasn’t what I wanted. I didn’t know _what_ I wanted at the time.

“I double majored in botany and premed.” Aerith chuckled. “I know, pretty weird choices, right? I guess my thought process was if I had to go into medical research, then maybe I could investigate more natural solutions when common pharmaceuticals didn’t work. And I ended up loving plants more than anything. I even worked for a florist one summer before my sophomore year. I lied to my parents and said it was a paid internship.” Another chuckle surfaced, marked with bittersweet nostalgia. “I never wanted to leave that shop. I was so happy there.

“And after working as a researcher for what felt like a million years, I just… couldn’t do it anymore. So I looked for somewhere as far away from Midgar as possible, someplace no one would know me and I could start over, do my own thing. I didn’t have much money once I separated my funds from my parents, but Nibelheim checked off all the boxes.”

“Did you tell them you were leaving?” Tifa gently asked.

Aerith rolled her eyes. “Yeah and that was probably a mistake. Though I don’t imagine it would’ve ended well if I got up and left in the middle of the night, either. I know they both love me and mean well. I had a pleasant life growing up with them and we were happy, but… I lived the life they wanted me to have, not what I wanted. They kept insisting I was throwing away a golden opportunity, that I’d be miserable without a luxurious apartment or the chic city or a fat paycheck from a corporation.” Aerith shook her head. “The other week when you stopped by? I got mail from my Dad. He sent me a letter stuffed with gil. Wrote that it was for making sure I could keep a roof over my head and be comfortable.” She scoffed. “Like I couldn’t determine what was comfortable for me or that I wasn’t earning enough to function. I was so upset that I called him, told me to stop coddling me and let me _live_. That… didn’t go over well. And I’m sorry if you had to see me like that.

“And it’s true my studio at the mill isn’t glamorous and I’ve sold most of my things to live out here… but you know what?”

Their eyes met. Despite the tears cascading from them, Aerith smiled.

“This is the happiest I’ve ever been,” she said. “I have a little shop in this little town. Everyone doesn’t care if I’m the daughter of two distinguished medical researchers or if I have the smallest apartment in town. They like my flower shop and _me_. It’s… it’s like a family I never knew I needed. And I see how you and your parents get along and—” She hiccupped and Tifa didn’t hesitate to brush away the stray tears. “—I’m so happy for you. I know it’s dumb for me to be a bit jealous of the life you have, but it makes me happy to know that there _are_ people in this world who care, who want you to be _happy_.”

Tifa frowned and averted her gaze. More thoughts screamed in her head, demanding her attention.

“Did I… say something wrong?” Aerith asked, pulling away to sit up and look at her.

“N-no.” Tifa shook her head and dried her own tears. “You couldn’t ever do anything wrong, Aerith. Trust me.”

Still, she pouted. “I know that was _a lot_ to unpack—”

“Oh, Aerith.” Tifa held onto her and smiled despite the tears. “I’m glad you told me. Truly. Thank you for trusting me.”

With a smile, Aerith embraced her. Not long enough, but what even compared to the eternity Tifa longed for beside Aerith?

“You know this goes both ways, right?” Aerith booped her nose against Tifa’s. “You don’t have to say anything, but I’m here if you need to vent.”

What was there to say? Maybe it was best to succumb to silence and enjoy their treats and watch movies until they passed out. And yet something itched in the back of Tifa’s mind, refusing to vanish.

“How much do you know about Nibelheim?” Tifa asked when their mugs emptied and nothing but crumbs remained on their plates.

Aerith furrowed her brows. “I know the apartment complex I’m in now used to be a textile mill. And the mountains used to have a factory or something up there, but… that’s it. Why?”

Tifa leaned into her and stared at the piano. “There used to be a lot more to this town. We’d read about those good ol’ times in history books and write reports on it. I was always angry, like I wanted to live back then when things weren’t small and quiet and boring. My Mom mentioned my climbing incident up at Mt. Nibel and… yeah, that was a typical day for me—getting into trouble just because I could. I don’t know why I did it. Maybe I wanted something more than this town, knowing it would never offer the millions of things I longed for.

“I wanted to live in Midgar. Anyone who was somebody lived there. Every year, at least half of the graduating class would move out of Nibelheim, some heading to Midgar. I don’t know if anyone ever made it big, so to speak, but they left and never came back. I thought that was enough of a success. My eyes were set on Midgar University. It was the only reason why I did well in class. We weren’t rich, but if I got good grades, it wouldn’t matter. Hell if I knew what I’d even study, but getting my foot in the door is the hardest part.

“And then—” Tifa lowered her head and Aerith wrapped an arm around her. “—Mom got sick. Like really sick. I can’t remember what. Pneumonia, I think? She stayed home instead of working in the kitchen at Seventh Heaven. I was maybe seven; I didn’t know better. I thought she could play with me after school, but she could barely keep her eyes open. And every year, it was something else. Another autoimmune disease, another chain to drag around. She tried so hard to keep working in the kitchens, but… she couldn’t. Dad took over and I barely saw him. He was always working, trying to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table.

“And I had to be the punk kid who didn’t care about the tavern and just wanted to leave town as soon as I could.” Tifa laughed at herself, the sound already dead before it left her lips. “I used to get angry at my parents. All dumb reasons. I felt like they didn’t care about me, but I didn’t realize how much they cared until the town almost lost everything.”

Aerith squeezed her. “What do you mean?”

Tifa sucked in a trembling breath. “During my senior year, there was a bad fire in Nibelheim. It took out… _a lot_ of the buildings. Even the tavern needed to be gutted and refurbished. I don’t remember how it started, but so many buildings were damaged and people… the people….” Tifa shook her head. “My Dad was working when it happened and he ran into burning buildings to save people before the fire trucks finally showed up. He got trapped in one of them—a wooden beam fell on him and messed up his back.

“School was canceled for the rest of the day and I remember coming home and finding my Mom in the living room in tears. Dad was in a hospital that was almost an hour away and she didn’t know how we were going to pay for his medical bills or repair the tavern. We used to have a truck and we sold it for extra cash. But we still needed more and we—” Tifa trembled and paused to catch her breath. “—we had a cottage up in the mountains. We’d visit it during the summer and winter. We went up less when my Mom’s health declined. Then I hit high school and we stopped going. So my parents sold it to some real estate agents looking to add it to their resort collection.”

Tears blurred her vision. Memories she didn’t want to hold onto surfaced.

“I had a few more months before I graduated,” Tifa continued. “I got accepted at Midgar University. I had a full ride. And I decided not to go so I could stay and help my parents.”

Silence washed over them. Tifa shook and Aerith tightened their embrace.

“We couldn’t afford all the fancy treatments Dad would’ve needed. He’s better than before, but he can’t stay on his feet for too long. And with Mom and her health… I couldn’t leave them behind. They did everything to make sure I was happy and the thought of going anywhere made me sick. I was such a pain for so long, barely grateful. So I stuck around, helped repair what I could, and took over Seventh Heaven so neither of them had to worry about it.

“Some people still left when we graduated, but others stuck around. Biggs, Jessie, Wedge, Cloud… they all lost something, too. They had plans, but they stayed to make sure Nibelheim didn’t die. We got the place up and running again. It does well, all things considered. And now it’s my turn to take care of my parents. They’re a bit stubborn and my Mom tries to give private music and cooking lessons when she can and my Dad takes a few odd jobs when his back is cooperating… but I don’t want them to suffer. They’re the sweetest people I know and they deserve so much better.

“But we’re not Midgar. We don’t have access to all the new, fancy stuff within a block of where we live. People don’t know we exist, barely making a pitstop at Nibelheim on their way to or from the mountains. And yet we count on those rare moments tourists do stumble upon us. I think about that cruise tour the other week and Zack showing me all the social media stuff… and part of me hopes that something big _does_ happen. Like more people will come here and maybe our town will thrive again, or at least not steadily decline year after year.

“Yet when I come home from work, my parents are always smiling. They’re not worried about the money; they want to know if I had a good day and if anything exciting happened. I just… I wish I could do more, but I don’t know anything beyond mixing drinks, taking inventory, ringing up bills, sometimes covering the grill, and keeping everyone smiling. Sometimes I think about Midgar and the life I might have had… and I don’t know. Maybe it wasn’t meant for me. Maybe I was always supposed to be a small-town country girl.”

More silence. The tears dried up, but the hollow sensation in her stomach lingered.

“You know what I think?” Aerith murmured.

Tifa sniffled. “What’s that?”

She swayed with Tifa. “That in another lifetime, we still would’ve met at Midgar University.”

The thought left a small smile on Tifa’s features. “Yeah. I guess we would’ve.”

“I can also tell you the city isn’t as amazing as everyone says it is.”

Tifa pouted. “Yeah, I figured.”

“And I _also_ know that your parents? They really do love you, Tifa. I’ve only met them tonight and wow! It’s just written all over their faces! But being a kid is hard and sometimes we do dumb things that only make sense by kid logic, you know?” Tifa nodded before Aerith continued. “And the fact you stayed? Geez, Tifa… you have such an incredibly big heart. Look at everything you’ve done for this town! That’s amazing! I know it may not have been what you wanted, but you accomplished everything you did because you _care_ so deeply. You still do to this day.

“And thanks for telling me.” Another squeeze. “I… honestly had no idea. You’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. I never would have imagined you as anything else.”

“Thanks for sharing all your stuff, too.” Tifa rested her head against Aerith’s. “I’m sorry your parents don’t get why you’re doing all of this. You can’t make everyone happy. Sometimes you need to do what’s good for you.”

Aerith paused, then glanced at Tifa. “Do I make you happy?”

Tifa almost winced. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… I know I can get easily excited and might be a bit overbearing—”

“Aerith—”

“And I’d hate to be imposing on you too much or—”

Tifa hugged her, as hard as she could. Aerith gasped against her, then melted, arms enveloping her as if they belong there, nestled into one another.

“You,” Tifa whispered into her hair, “make me so unbelievably happy.”

She swore Aerith smiled along her neck. “Good. Because the feeling is mutual.”

Even when they unraveled from one another to resume their movie binge, they didn’t stray more than an inch from each other. Colorful animations moved across the screen, the full moon eased through the window, and the grandfather clock downstairs announced every passing hour—and Aerith was there the whole time.

And Tifa had never been so happy.

* * *

The dead weight of her numb arm nudged Tifa awake. She groaned, maneuvering her body into a less contorted position until sensation returned to her fingers. Cracking her eyes open, she adjusted to the shadows—a dark blue several shades away from midnight black that was only found in the witching hours before dawn. Tifa glanced at the clock and sighed. Any other day and she would’ve had rolled over and caught a couple more hours’ worth of sleep.

Instead, she hitched her breath and found Aerith nestled into the crook of her arm, sleeping soundly.

Tifa smiled. _Guess we were up late. I don_ _’t even remember passing out. Must’ve been in the middle of The Nightmare Before Christmas._ She dared to push a lock of hair out of Aerith’s face and tuck it behind her ear. _So much for the pullout bed, too._

Part of her wanted to bask in the moment, wait until Aerith woke up and enjoy some morning snuggles. Maybe have a lazy morning before Tifa had to wash up and get ready for—

Tifa’s brows knitted together. _That_ _’s right, she has to be up early to open. Not the same schedule Seventh Heaven operates on._ She sighed and quirked her lips.

Then she remembered her promise during dinner.

By some stroke of luck, Tifa slipped out from under Aerith without disturbing her. She draped a blanket over her tired form and paused. Was a kiss against her temple too much? Would that wake her? Tifa hesitated. After a breath, she leaned in and pressed soft lips between the edge of her delicate eyebrow and wispy hairline.

It took every fiber in her soul to pry herself away and not curl up back in bed to wake up Aerith with countless kisses.

Tifa carefully descended the stairs, carrying the tray and their dishes from last night. Several embers struggled to glow in the fireplace. Beside it was the pullout bed, complete with bed sheets, pillows, and blankets. Tifa stripped it and tucked it back into the sofa before heading into the kitchen. With the dishes cleaned and the tray stored away, she turned on the gas stovetop—sputtering clicks piercing the room before flames bloomed to life—and gathered what she needed from nearby cabinets and the fridge.

Bacon sizzled while she ground coffee beans. The shadows gradually lifted and yielded to a blue haze. Tifa lost herself in the busy kitchen work from setting the table and prepping mugs for coffee and checking the bread cooking in bacon fat.

She never heard the steps coming down the stairs, but she couldn’t ignore the arms wrapping around her from behind.

“Now what’s all _this_?”

Tifa smirked, cracking eggs into the holes within the bread. “I promised you breakfast before you had to head out for work, didn’t I?”

Aerith squeezed her. “That’s so sweet.” Then she jabbed a finger into her side. “I’m not sure it was worth leaving me behind in bed for.”

Tifa snickered. “What, you wanted to leave on an empty stomach?”

“I mean, there _is_ a tavern next door.”

“And we don’t open until noon.”

Aerith groaned. “Oh, _fine_! I guess I’ll have to eat this delicious meal you’re making just for me.”

“Good, because I’m almost done. Go sit down and I’ll grab you some coffee.”

Aerith complied, albeit with a pout. By the time she took a seat, Tifa poured fresh coffee and a glass of orange juice. Aerith added sugar and milk to her coffee while Tifa finished the last of breakfast. With the toast crisped from the bacon fat and the eggs fully cooked into them, she brought the frying pan to the table and divvied out their portions.

“Awww, it looks like a smiley face!” Aerith said as Tifa added bacon to their plates.

“I used to say the same thing when my Mom made this for me as a kid.”

“Bet it made it harder to eat.”

“Nah. I was too hungry to care.”

Aerith snorted. “Wish we knew each other when we were kids. We’d have a lot in common.”

Tifa took the seat next to her. “I’m glad we know each other now.”

To her surprise, Aerith rested a hand over hers, thumb idly stroking her skin. “Yeah. Me too.”

They ate breakfast in silence, save for Aerith’s occasional moan with every other bite she took. Tifa tackled dishes once they finished as Aerith savored her coffee. Sometimes Tifa glanced over her shoulder, always finding Aerith gazing out the window as the sun’s warmth crept across the town.

“I’m glad I moved here,” Aerith said at one point. “Whatever happens with this town, I’m happy to be a part of it.”

“Whatever does happen,” Tifa murmured, “we all have each other.”

Aerith looked to her, mug pressed against her cheek while her lips curled up. “That’s all that matters.”

The stairs groaned. Emerging from around the corner was Tifa’s mother, rubbing her eyes and slumping with every step. Upon seeing the two of them in the kitchen, she perked up.

“You girls are up earlier this morning,” she said with a soft smile. “Have a good time last night?”

“We did,” Aerith replied. “Thanks for the drinks and pie, too. They were delicious!”

“Oh, I’m glad to hear that. We boxed up some leftovers for you, Aerith.”

“Aww thank you. That might be my lunch and dinner for today.”

Tifa peeked in the fridge to pull out said leftovers. “It might be your lunch and dinner for _several_ days.”

“Hey, even better!” Finishing her coffee, Aerith stood from the table. “I should get ready, though. I need to open in exactly an hour.” Her face soured. “Ugh, I probably need to run back to my place first.”

Tifa took her empty mug and raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”

“I don’t have any clean clothes on me and I’m not liking the idea of spending a whole day in what I wore yesterday.” She frowned and pulled out her phone. “Maybe I can spam Zack with messages until he wakes up and ask him for a lift so I don’t need to sprint to the shop.”

“Why don’t you borrow some of mine?” Tifa froze. _Did I just say that out loud?_

Aerith stared at her. “You sure?”

“I, uh… yeah?” Tifa flashed a nervous smile. “My stuff might be a bit big on you, because uh—”

“Need extra room for them muscles?”

Tifa’s mother snorted as she took a seat at the dining table. Tifa almost ran out the front door screaming.

“Well, the point is,” Tifa continued, “you can look through my dresser if you’d like and borrow what you need.”

Aerith smirked. “Thanks. I’ll take you up on that. I’m sure you got some cute stuff, too.”

With that, Aerith disappeared upstairs. Tifa stood dumbfounded, clutching an empty mug, and her mother wore a shit-eating grin at the table.

“Aren’t you two just precious together,” her mother said.

“Mom! It’s nothing!”

She snickered. “I suppose not. Just the girl next door to the tavern borrowing your clothes for the day after staying over to watch movies in your room.”

Tifa huffed out a sigh and turned to the sink. Maybe some aggressive scrubbing would make her forget the embarrassment. “ _You_ _’re_ the one who insisted she should come over and then stay the night.”

“But isn’t that what you wanted?”

The words gave Tifa pause. She wanted many things. Lately, all those imagined scenarios involved Aerith.

“Do you want coffee, Mom?” Tifa offered. “The pot’s still hot.”

“Trying to change the subject?” her mother tsked. “Tifa, sweetie, you can’t hide these kinds of things from me, you know. You’ve never been one to mask your emotions or intentions—not _well_ , anyways.”

Tifa pouted. “You’re not wrong.”

Her mother chuckled. “Of course! Mothers know best, after all.”

But her amusement abruptly shifted to a pained groan. Tifa glanced over her shoulder and found her mother doubled over and clutching her abdomen. Before Tifa reached her side, she waved her daughter off.

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “I’ve had worse cramps.”

“But they kept you from sleeping, didn’t that? That’s why you’re always up early, Mom.”

She sighed, yet smiled. “Maybe I had too much fun last night, but I like to think it’s worth it.” She patted Tifa’s arm. “She’s a sweet girl, that Aerith. I can tell she makes you happy. You deserve that, Tifa. More than you realize. Whatever happens, whether it’s with the tavern or with Aerith, know your father and I support it.”

Smiling back, Tifa briefly rested her hand over her mother’s. “Thanks, Mom.”

As Tifa finished fixing her mother a cup of coffee, Aerith raced down the stairs. She carried her previous day’s attire in her arms while donning a black skort, a white t-shirt, and a denim jacket. Tifa paused and stared; she hadn’t worn that particular outfit herself since high school, but Aerith pulled it off with ease. And with the silk scarf tied at her throat, it gave an added flare to Aerith’s last-minute ensemble.

“So!” Aerith twirled in place. “How do I look?”

Tifa fluttered her eyes. “Amazing! That combo really suits you.”

Aerith wiggled her hips, making the skort swish about. “You think so? I feel ready to ride a motorcycle than to tend to some flowers.”

“You make it work, though.” _You always do._

Aerith beamed. “Aww thanks! I’ll be sure to get it washed and back to you sooner than later. Same with the food containers.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, sweetie,” Tifa’s mother insisted. “Take your time!”

Tifa approached her, handing off the massive containers of leftover casserole and pie. “And thanks for coming over and staying the night. I hope you enjoyed it.”

Aerith’s fingertips brushed over Tifa’s upon retrieving the containers. “Thank _you_ for having me. It was really great. We should do that more often.”

“You’re welcome back any time!” her mother chimed in, lifting her mug to Aerith in approval.

“Aww, thanks, Mrs. Lockhart! I’m sorry I have to leave so soon.”

“Nonsense. You’re a busy young lady. I admire that dedication! Go on and take care of that shop of yours. I’m sure we’ll cross paths again.”

Tifa walked Aerith to the front door, opening it once Aerith slipped her boots on. A cool breeze filtered inside along with a few fallen leaves. Sunlight spilled across the street, yet not a soul was awake yet, save for them.

“Guess I’ll see you around?” Tifa asked, stuffing her hands into her hoodie’s pockets.

“You better,” Aerith giggled out.

“Of course.” Tifa kicked her feet and looked elsewhere. “Hey, about last night… I know it was a lot, but—”

She almost fell over as Aerith tugged her into a tight hug. Regaining stability, Tifa smiled and eased into her, unsure if she’d ever be able to let go.

“Life is always a lot,” Aerith whispered, “but that’s okay. With someone like you around? I feel like I can take on anything.”

Tifa ignored the way her heart wildly bounced. “The feeling’s mutual.”

“Good!” Aerith loosened her grip and pulled away with a wink. “Because I don’t fall asleep in just _any_ random girl’s bed after a night like that.”

Tifa had more to say. She always did. But Aerith stepped down the porch and past the yard and waved from the street. Tifa leaned into the wooden railing, waving back and watching Aerith walk towards downtown. As she shrunk in the distance while the sun peeked through the trees, Tifa repeated every moment they shared in her head—from their first encounters to their heartfelt confessions the previous night.

_She really_ does _like me,_ Tifa finally admitted to herself. _Like a lot. And so do I._ She smiled and sighed before heading back inside. _I should do something about that._


	7. Chapter 7

“Hey, does someone have the time?”

Tifa marched out of the kitchen, carrying a metal catering pan stuffed with creamy macaroni and cheese. She dodged Cloud as he cut the corner, no doubt diving in to grab more food. Yuffie arranged colorful balloons in each corner of the dining area while Biggs balanced on the bar’s countertop to hang a banner that read _Good luck, Jessie!_ Tifa situated her pan with a row of others—all piping hot with serving spoons ready—when Cloud emerged with another pan.

“It’s ten of eleven,” he said, quickly approaching Tifa.

Biggs sighed. “Cutting it kind of close, aren’t we?”

“Well,” Tifa said, double-checking their supply of dishes and utensils for the buffet, “we did all agree that doing this before Jessie showed up to work was our best bet.” She smiled at Cloud as he added a pan of flaky biscuits. “Is that the last of them?”

“Think so.” He clapped his hands clean. “Wedge is pulling the pies out of the oven. Not sure about the ice cream, though.”

“Oh! I can help!” Yuffie secured the last balloon on a chair and rushed to the kitchen. “Hey, Wedge! Where the desserts at?!”

Tifa snickered. “At least someone is excited. I’m going to need a nap after this.”

“Tell me about it.” Cloud paused. “I hope Jessie likes it.”

Taking a step back, Tifa folded her arms and examined their hard work. They moved the existing chairs and tables to the walls, making more room for mingling in the center. The tables along the windows joined together to showcase their makeshift buffet, packed with Jessie’s favorites: apple cider (hot and cold), toasted raviolis, fried mozzarella sticks, cut veggies with spinach artichoke dip, chicken wings (honey barbeque, garlic parmesan, and sriracha maple), meatballs, pulled pork, roasted shredded chicken, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, baked beans, fruit salad, cornbread, and finally macaroni and cheese along with biscuits. Paired with the last-minute decorations—balloons, streamers, and banners—it was the most festive Seventh Heaven had ever been under Tifa’s management.

She smiled. “I think she’s going to love it.”

A knock on the front door grabbed Tifa’s attention. She peeked through the closed curtains; some of their guests arrived just in time. They brought gifts for Jessie, despite Tifa telling them to just bring themselves, but who was she to say no to the locals who supported them their whole lives? Tifa cracked opened the door and welcomed a dozen people, either fellow business owners on the downtown strip or close friends of Jessie’s family.

“This was such a lovely idea!” one of them said as they scurried inside.

“I know! I can’t wait to see the look on Jessie’s face.”

“Tifa, do you need any help?”

“Thanks for the offer,” she said, locking the front door, “but I think we got everything under control. Just hang out in the dining area for now. I’ll let you all know when she’s coming.”

As their guests situated themselves, quietly talking with one another, Tifa triple checked the state of the party. _Alright, decorations? Looks good. Enough seats out? Yeah, all the bar stools are fine. Plenty of plates and fork and stuff? Sure thing. Oh, looks like Cloud grabbed the napkins, too. Let_ _’s see…._ Tifa counted each catering pan, mouthing her counts as she moved down the table. _Still no desserts yet. Crap._

“Hey, Wedge,” Tifa yelled as she hurried to the kitchen, “what’s the status on the pies?”

The oven creaked open. Wedge pulled out a tray of freshly baked pies: apple, pumpkin, and brown butter pecan. Tifa paused upon entering and savored the rich, spicy scents permeated in the kitchen.

“Well, they’re done,” Wedge said, carefully placing the tray on the center table. “And hot.”

She scanned the room. “I thought Yuffie was helping out?”

“She’s scouting outside on the roof for Jessie. Said she’d come in and warn us once Jessie was coming up.”

Tifa made a face, only to shake her head. “I’m not going to ask how she got up there.”

“Probably better that way, but you saw her scale the shelves in the walk-in fridge the other day, right?”

“I try not to remember that.”

“She’s a little ninja, that one!”

Tifa rolled her eyes, yet smiled. “Do you need a hand with anything?”

“With the ice cream, sure.” He nudged the oven door shut with his foot. “The pies still need to cool, but we can bring them out after an hour or so. Aside from that, I think we got everything? The leftovers are on the rack over there if we need to refill anything at the buffet.”

“Oh lord, we already have enough food. I can’t imagine refilling it.”

“Who knows how many people are going to show up. Could be the whole town!”

“Wouldn’t that be something?”

Wedge peeked through the opening between the kitchen and the bar. “Looks like your parents just showed up along with some others.”

“Oh, that’s good. The neighbors were giving them a ride. Thought they were going to be here earlier, though.”

“Hey, what about Aerith?” He scooped tubs of ice cream under each arm. “You told her about the surprise party, right?”

Tifa paused. _Had_ she? Or had she mentioned it to Zack when collaborating on weekly social media posts? She lost track of time since Halloween, busy with the preparations that led to the current day. Easier said than done when the person the party was for not only worked at the tavern, but had a knack for sniffing out anything peculiar. Thankfully, Yuffie distracted her with a million questions—some job related, most others not—and they managed to plan and prep undisturbed.

But Tifa would’ve been lying if she claimed she never thought of the flower girl next door during those hectic days. Of course she did. Maybe _too_ much, if that was even possible. After their impromptu sleepover, how could she not? She thought of many things: of buying her more gifts, of inviting her over for another dinner, of watching more movies over cups of hot chocolate, of talking about anything and everything until the sun rose.

Of asking her out, to make whatever it was between them official.

That alone prompted multiple scenarios in Tifa’s already chaotic mind. Just as she scrutinized every detail of Jessie’s going away party, she fretted over the what-ifs and outside factors beyond her control. Questions of when and where and how and why bombarded Tifa until she made herself dizzy. Every passing day _not_ asking Aerith meant another opportunity wasted, but Tifa wanted it to be perfect. Maybe not in a super polished sense of the word, but perfect for Aerith and only her.

_You deserve the best and more,_ Tifa always found herself coming back to. _I want you to be happy and I_ _’d love to be the one who made you happy. Not just as friends and business neighbors, but as—_

“Uh… Tifa?”

She fluttered her eyes. Wedge stood in the hallway leading to the dining area, still carrying all the tubs of ice cream and raising an eyebrow.

“You doing alright?” he asked.

“Y-yeah!” She swiped scoops and small containers of warm water. “Right behind you!”

It wasn’t until they entered the dining area that Tifa remembered his initial question. She tried not to wince and groan; worst-case scenario, she could swing by the flower shop and let Aerith know she was more than invited.

_Maybe I can ask her then?_ Tifa mused while helping Wedge set up the ice cream. _Or is that too informal? Does that even matter? Oh, but what if she says no and is too busy to come over? Pfff, who am I fooling? Almost everyone is visiting today. Or what if she_ does _stop by? Then how am I going to ask her?_

“Oh, sweetie! There you are!”

Tifa looked up to find her parents waving from the bar. “Hey, glad you two made it!”

“Look at all of this!” Her mother gestured to the decorated space. “What a marvelous job!”

She flashed a nervous smile. “Well, I didn’t do it alone, but I’m glad it came out alright.”

“Give yourself more credit,” her father added with a smile. “You’ve outdone yourself for sure!”

The anxiety slipped away. Maybe it was only for a second, but Tifa savored that fleeting relief. “Thanks, you two.”

A door slammed from the kitchen. Sneakers scuffed the floors as Yuffie bolted into view. “She’s coming!” she yelled, flailing and jumping for emphasis.

Tifa hitched her breath. “Yuffie, kill the lights back there! Biggs, get everyone behind the bar or counter!”

“On it, boss!” Biggs said with a thumbs up.

As he corralled their guests, Cloud flipped off the overhead lights in the dining area. The sun still peeked through the curtains, providing enough light to navigate the dim tavern. Hushed whispers tapered off as people huddled behind the bar or by the stools. Tifa’s parents ducked their heads and waited with eager grins. Yuffie sprinted out from the now dark kitchen with a box of party poppers, handing them out to anyone in reach. Wedge scurried to join the others while Tifa made yet another last-minute check. Everything was ready, right?

“Tifa!” Biggs hissed. “Come on!”

She pivoted and rushed to the bar right as the back door creaked open.

“Hello?” Jessie’s voice echoed from the kitchen. “Tifa? Guys? Anyone?” A pause, then, “Yeesh, why is it so dark back here?” Light glowed around the corner. “Well, I can’t be the first one in. Door wasn’t locked and… wait, are those _pies_? Oooo there’s brown butter pecan! I thought that was from the summer menu, though? Hmmm… where the heck _is_ everyone?” Her voice grew louder as she approached the front of the tavern. “Ugh, figures. Last day I need to work and things need to be weird.”

Jessie stepped out into view and paused. Her eyes widened, then her lips parted. Before she uttered a word, the lights flicked on and everyone yelled in unison.

“Surprise!”

Multiple _pops_ filled the air, followed by confetti. People cheered and clapped for Jessie as the shock melted from her features.

“Wait,” she said as people poured out from the bar, “I thought… but wasn’t today supposed to be—”

“A normal working day?” Biggs wrapped an arm around her. “Nah! Not even close!”

“Figured you needed a proper sendoff!” Wedge said.

“You guys,” Jessie drew out, eyes watering while she grinned, “this is so sweet! I had no idea!”

“Mission accomplished!” Yuffie puffed out her chest and tilted her head back. “Told you guys she wouldn’t know!”

“All the better!” Tifa said. “Can’t have a surprise party if it’s not a surprise, right?”

Jessie dried her eyes. “Thank you, everyone! So much!”

“Hey, don’t mention it. Like Wedge said—we had to make sure your last day was one to remember. So take off that apron and dig in!”

Another round of applause passed over the crowd as Tifa opened the curtains and unlocked the front door. Several others lingered outside, perking up as Tifa beckoned for them. Of course people wanted to stop by and say farewell to Jessie. And who would turn down a free hot meal to boot?

After fixing herself a plate full of chicken wings, mashed potatoes, baked beans, and cornbread, Tifa took a seat by the bar and sighed, beyond content. Jessie hung out at the end of the buffet, eating between hugs from the locals. Biggs bickered with Yuffie over which of the chicken wings was the yummiest. Wedge chatted with Tifa’s parents, showing pictures on his phone of either his latest baking ventures or his cats—or both. Cloud kept to himself, only to perk up and wave when his mother arrived.

A cacophony of delightful voices filled the tavern. It usually wasn’t until the lunch rush when conversations overpowered the radio, but even now it was different. Something familiar and comforting, just like the food they munched on.

And all smiles. Tifa refused the trade that for anything.

“Phew!” Jessie plopped down next to Tifa with seconds heaped on her plate. “I didn’t think saying goodbye to people was going to be _this_ exhausting!”

Tifa snickered. “It hasn’t even been an hour.”

“I know, right?!” She shoveled macaroni and cheese into her mouth and moaned. “Need to fill up on this good stuff so I can survive however long the party takes.”

“We planned until dinner time, but who knows when people will stop coming in.”

“Geez, and here I thought I’d be up all night from being so giddy about my morning bus ride. You guys are keeping me on my toes!”

Tifa laughed with her, took a few more bites of food, then pointed her fork at Jessie. “I know you’re excited to ship on out to the Gold Saucer and you’ll be busy, but don’t forget to keep in touch, yeah?”

Jessie’s features softened. “How could I ever forget? Everyone here is like family.”

“And we’re here for you, even if we’re not down the street.”

“I know.” She paused. “It’s going to be weird getting used to something that’s not Nibelheim. Geez, I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I could walk. Is it dumb to say I’m kind of nervous?” Tifa shook her head and Jessie smiled. “Well, guess they don’t call it stage fright for nothing. Besides, next time you hear from me? It’ll be about what role I snagged.”

“It better!”

More people filtered into Seventh Heaven, ignoring the food to beckon for Jessie. Swallowing down a mouthful of food, Jessie slipped off her seat and nodded to Tifa.

“Thanks again, Tifa,” she said before meeting some neighbors. “Not just for the party, but everything.”

Jessie darted off with smiles and giggles before Tifa had a chance to reply. Even if she did, all that surfaced was a delighted smile and a content sigh.

Her plate emptied. So did a few catering pans; Tifa made the right choice to stock up on multiple flavors of chicken wings. While people mingled within the dining area, Tifa brought out new batches to refill their buffet. Somewhere between chatting with guests and hauling dirty dishes to the sink, she caught a glimpse of red and pink past the window—a bright smudge of color against the dulling autumn leaves and barren trees.

She hitched her breath and froze. After what felt like an eternity, the front door opened and Aerith emerged.

Donning her red leather jacket, a white blouse, a layered pink skirt, and worn boots, Aerith exuded her usual, spunky, carefree attitude. She sighed and smiled, positioning sunglasses to the top of her head with one hand and carrying a basket stuff with flowers in the other. Her green eyes scanned the area, just as radiant as her smile. Upon settling on Tifa, she perked up and waved.

And Tifa finally remembered to breathe.

“Aerith,” she said as they closed the distance between each other, “so glad you could make it.”

“Wouldn’t want to miss it! Hope we’re not too late.”

“Not at all.” Tifa blinked and tilted her head. “Wait, _we_? Zack tag along?”

Aerith blinked, as well. “I thought he was right behind me.” She looked over her shoulder, then pointed at the window. “Oh, there he is!”

Wobbling down the street was none other than Zack. He carried a massive ceramic pot in both arms, topped with a basket containing smaller potted plants. Barely seeing over the top, he managed to maneuver to the front of Seventh Heaven and nudge the door open.

“Yeesh, _finally_!” he heaved out. “Hey, Aerith? Where did you—”

The weight of the door slowly closed on him. Zack muttered under his breath, struggling to keep one foot in the doorway while balancing his items. A couple more nudges and still no luck. Not far from the door stood Cloud, quietly eating while listening to his mother chat with a friend. He straightened up once he settled on Zack battling the door. After rolling his eyes—and smiling—Cloud held open the door for him.

“Phew!” Zack stumbled in with a massive sigh. “Thanks for that, Cloud!”

Tifa swore Cloud blushed. “Yeah. Don’t mention it.”

“I told you to take two trips,” Aerith called out to Zack.

“He’ll never learn,” Tifa murmured.

Aerith snorted. “Oh, I know. All the better to tease him!”

“Hey, what are you ladies snickering about?” Zack asked as he caught up.

“Just the usual,” Aerith said, winking at Tifa.

“Great! Well, uh—” He placed the ceramic pot on the floor and adjusted the basket on top, which held four, separate cacti. “—do you want this anywhere?”

“What’s all this for?” Tifa asked.

“Gifts for Jessie!” Aerith lifted her handbasket, stuffed with an assortment of peonies, narcissus, and orchids. “A good luck bouquet and some plants to bring with her to the Gold Saucer. The cacti don’t need too much attention and I figured she’s heading to a desert climate, so might as well celebrate with some local flora. They’ve got these lovely pink and red blossoms, too!”

“That’s so sweet! I’m sure she’ll love them.”

“Oh, and uh—” Aerith leaned in close to whisper to Tifa. “—I got your clothes you let me borrow in the pot, too. Washed, dried, and folded.”

Tifa turned a shade deeper than the pink peonies. “Oh! That’s… that’s, um… yeah, thanks.”

“Thank _you_.”

The expression on Aerith’s face—a mix between devious and coy—was sure to melt Tifa faster than the tubs of ice cream.

“Hey, Tifa!” Zack said, jerking a thumb to the buffet. “Mind if we dig in?”

Tifa fluttered her eyes and found her voice. “N-not at all. That’s what it’s there for. Please, help yourselves!”

Zack rubbed his hands together and grinned before rushing to get in line for food. As for Aerith, she waved down Jessie to present her gifts. Tifa stood off to the side, smiling as Jessie pulled Aerith into a tight hug.

“You didn’t have to do this, Aerith!” Jessie said.

Aerith raised a finger. “Think of it as thanks for getting that first aid kit in a pinch!”

“Guess you have a point there.” Jessie shot a sly look to Tifa. “Bet I’d be covered in flowers if I had caught you.”

Aerith simply giggled. “Maybe so!”

Never mind the peonies, Tifa’s face rivaled the marinara sauce the meatballs stewed in.

“Well,” Jessie said, holding her new collection of cacti, “you’re going to have to jot down instructions for these little guys. I don’t want to kill them in a week.”

“I doubt you will. They’re pretty lowkey. Here!” She fished out her smartphone. “What’s your number? I’ll text you some tips.”

The two chatted while Tifa watched. She recalled what Aerith told her while curled up on her bed with tears in her eyes. For someone so selfless and spirited as Aerith, Tifa never suspected the empty dull pain she once carried with her. But now Aerith smiled, conversing with locals as if she knew them as long as Tifa had.

_This is your home now,_ Tifa mused with a smile. _You_ _’ll always be welcomed here._

“Oh my _god_.”

Tifa turned right as Zack approached her, balancing a plate with literally one of everything while sucking his fingers clean.

“Did you make all this?” he asked, mouth still full of food.

Tifa couldn’t help but chuckle. “I helped, yeah. Wedge did most of the harder bits, like the pies—”

“Wait, there’s _pie_?!”

“They’re cooling in the back,” she said through a laugh. “Actually, they might be done by now.”

“This is some of the best stuff I’ve ever had!” Zack finally swallowed and grabbed a hunk of cornbread. “People online aren’t lying, either!”

“You still keeping tabs on that?”

“Hey, that’s what you’re paying me to do!” He popped cornbread into his mouth, wiped the crumbs off on his pants, and dug out his smartphone. “Finally got you set up on Wark and I swear these all came in overnight.”

Tifa skimmed the various posts on the user review and recommendations app. Her eyes widened at a few familiar faces.

_Love this little gem! w_ rote @barret_wallace. _Took my little girl here at the end of our vacation up in the mountains. A bit off the main road, but worth the trip. All homemade and fresh. I_ _’m hungry just remembering it!_

_God DAMN is this the good shit! w_ rote @highwind7777. _Stove died while trying to cook up some chow for the big game and one of my friends mentioned this place was finally on ChocoGo. Bit of a hike from Rocket Town, but hey, I_ _’m not driving. Got me and the boys some damn delicious poutine. AND THE ICED TEA. THE BEST. All in time for kick-off! If my ass ever finds its way to Nibelheim, I’m asking for the owner so I can shake their hand._

_Great drinks, great food, great price, great atmosphere. w_ rote @rude_turks. _We were in and out before the bus ever left. The bartender was professional, efficient, and friendly. My kind of girl._

“So many people,” Tifa murmured. “They all loved it.”

“Don’t blame them! Some of these even link to blog posts. Like this one here? Someone listed Seventh Heaven on their Five Places I Need to Eat at in the New Year post. And with genuine reviews like that? Even more people are going to check this place out.”

“I’d hug you right now if you weren’t eating right now.”

“ _Hey_!” Zack shook a chicken wing at her. “I have not dropped a _single_ thing since I moved out here!”

“ _Yet_.”

Zack sighed and shook his head, but smiled all the same. “Yeah, yeah. I see Aerith’s been rubbing off on you in that department.”

Tifa bit her lower lip. “Something like that. But really, Zack, thank you. All of this… it’s more than I expected.”

“Ah, don’t mention it! I love this kind of thing. Plus who am I to say no to food like this?”

They laughed together—well, Zack made muffled sounds as he stuffed his face with fried mozzarella sticks—and somewhere past the idle chatter and amusement, Tifa heard her name. She peered past Zack and spotted Biggs on the other end of the dining area, waving for her attention.

“Hey!” he called out. “We need refills on the mac and cheese! Got some hungry kiddos over here!”

Circling Biggs was a group of kids, perhaps the second graders who helped with the elementary school’s haunted house. They all bounced and giggled, excited to see Biggs, though far more excited at the promise of more macaroni and cheese.

“What’s that?!” Jessie stopped conversing with Aerith to spy upon the travesty. “No more mac and cheese?!”

“We have more in the back,” Tifa spoke through a chuckle. “Give me a second and I’ll get a pan.”

“Oh thank _goodness_ for that!”

“But you’re going to have some competition,” Biggs said, gesturing to the children. “Need to learn to share with the kiddos.”

“Hmmmm, I don’t know about _that_!” The children giggled as Jessie skipped on over to them. “There’s a lot of you little cuties and only one of me!”

While Jessie entertained the kids, Wedge waved down Tifa from another end of the buffet. “Hey, you want to grab the pies, too? They should be ready by now.”

“Perfect.” Tifa gave them all a thumbs up. “I’m on it.”

Aerith perked up as Tifa passed her. “H-hey, do you need a hand?”

Tifa slowed her steps and looked over Aerith. “Um, I think I’m all set. You can stay out here and grab some food and chill.” The subtle pout of Aerith’s lips made Tifa reconsider. “But, uh… I mean, I wouldn’t say no to the company, either. That is, if you’d like to.”

With a single step, Aerith stood a mere foot away from Tifa, a light blush marking her cheeks. “I’d definitely like to.”

Tifa ignored her internal squealing. “Great! Come on, it’s this way.”

“Oh, hang on, let me bring this back, too.” Aerith bent down to lift the huge ceramic pot still on the floor. Or at least she tried. “Geez, this is heavier than I thought.”

“Hey, need a hand?” Zack asked, simultaneously speaking and chewing.

“No no. You got your hands full. I can do this… I just….” Again Aerith tried to lift it and failed. “Huh, on second thought, maybe—”

“Here.” Tifa knelt, scooped the pot in her arms, and stood in a single fluid motion. “I can bring this in the back.”

Aerith stared. So did Zack.

“Damn,” Zack mumbled, “I _need_ to work out more.”

Tifa’s cheeks burned as she swept her eyes to Aerith. “You good?”

She fluttered her green eyes and nodded. “Yeah! Lead the way!”

The usual chaos of the kitchen was amiss. Nothing sizzling on the grill, no timers blaring, no plates clattering. The lively party hummed in the building’s foundations, but it was a piece of solitude, away from the festivities.

And alone with Aerith.

_Holy crap,_ Tifa kept to herself. _It_ _’s just us. I mean, we’ve been alone before, but… now’s different._ She chewed her bottom lip. _Is now a good time, maybe? Should I ask now? Something quick to get it out of the way? Or—_

“Wow, this is incredible!” Aerith spun in place while marveling at the kitchen. “I’ve never been in the back of a restaurant before.”

Tifa cracked a smile. “It’s not much right now, but it’s pretty cool when Wedge is doing his thing back here.”

“I bet!” Aerith released a dreamy sigh. “I’d love to be a fly on the wall and watch. I always smell the bacon when I’m locking up for the day and it makes my mouth water.”

“I’m surprised you’re not gobbling up more food than Zack right now.”

“I’ll eat in a bit,” Aerith rushed out, twirling a long, loose lock of hair. “Oh, you can put that anywhere, too. Whatever works for you.”

“Sure thing.” Tifa settled the pot by the cupboards, well out of the way of any foot traffic. “So, um… we got our catering pans over here.”

Aerith stared at the half-full rack by the walk-in fridge door. “Is that all for the party?”

“Yup. Planned on most of the town showing up for Jessie.”

“And you made all of that _today_?”

“Well, we prepped throughout the week, but we cooked most of it this morning. Got up pretty early so it would be all set before Jessie showed up for work.”

“That’s amazing. She’s really lucky to have great friends like that.”

“We’re lucky to have her, too. I mean, for now. She heads out first thing tomorrow morning. We’ll miss her, but she’ll be here in spirit.”

Aerith shuffled closer to Tifa, arms clasped behind her back. “I feel really lucky, too.”

Tifa blinked and froze. “What do you mean?”

Aerith chuckled and swayed on her feet. “To find this little town, to open up my shop, to have such lovely customers.” Her eyes locked onto Tifa’s. “To have a great neighbor to make me feel welcomed.”

Her eyes widened. A _sk her now. Right now. Just ask her. When are you ever going to get a better opportunity than this very second? Just do it. Ask! What are you waiting for?!_

“You know,” Tifa drew out, a tremble in her words, “speaking of things in the neighborhood… I uh….” She grabbed one of the catering pans from the rack to buy herself time. “There’s this dairy farm right outside of Nibelheim. They raise their own cows and even do tours where you can see the facility and meet the cows. They even have a cute little shop where they sell their milk and stuff. Even have this bakery that’s to die for. We use their milk and cream for Seventh Heaven, but I haven’t been to the actual farm since like, grade school for a field trip. I just thought… I don’t know, maybe you’d like to come with me? Make a day out of it? I think they still have a picnic area. We could pack a lunch while it’s still sweater weather. Oh and that apple orchard is half a mile down if you wanted to go—”

Laughter filled the room. Tifa’s frowned and her heart sank. Whatever amused Aerith was unknown.

“Was it something I said?” Tifa gingerly asked.

Aerith flicked away tears and grinned. “Are you trying to ask me out on a date?”

Tifa settled the pan on a table and rubbed her neck. “Uh… maybe? Yeah? Look, if you don’t like it, we don’t have to do anything—”

But Aerith strolled by her, an extra bounce in her steps. She bent at the ceramic pot and removed the empty basket still perched on top. Tifa narrowed her eyes, only to have them widen as Aerith unearthed a massive bouquet from within.

White lilies and daisies paired with rich red mums and roses. A smattering of pink carnations poked through along with leafy branches. A crimson ribbon tied the stems together, the same color as the scarf in Aerith’s hair. So many blossoms, more than Tifa could count. Aerith barely contained the bouquet in her arms, let alone look over the top.

“What’s that for?” Tifa asked.

Aerith snorted. “What for?” She extended the bouquet. “They’re for _you_ , silly.”

Tifa swore the floor opened from beneath her feet and she plummeted into an abyss. Or at least that’s what her stomach made her feel like while she stood and gawked at the most beautiful collection of flowers she had ever witnessed.

And for _her_. For _her_? From _Aerith_?!

She didn’t remember reaching for the flowers, but the weight of the bouquet eased into her arms. And the _smell_. The distinct aroma reminded her of a blend between freshly fallen rain on a summer night and the crisp air on a sunny autumn day. She hugged the bouquet and peered at Aerith through the vibrant arrangement.

“Aerith,” she murmured, unsure of what words existed to express her gratitude and affection.

“Here I was,” Aerith said, still giggling, “taking my time picking the right flowers that reminded me of you so I could ask you out.” A lovely grin swept across her features. “And it turned out we were on the same page after all!”

Tifa’s cheeks rivaled the hue of the carnations. “These… reminded you of me?”

“Of course. Every time I saw you by the shop’s window looking in, that’s what I had on display somewhere.” Aerith smirked and batted her eyelashes. “Figured if you were going to keep window shopping like that, then I’d need to take initiative.”

Again Tifa inhaled the flowers, a content hum leaving her. “I must be an open book.”

“Just a little bit,” Aerith teased. “I knew you were busy. I didn’t want to distract you… but you’re also hard to say no to. Here.” Aerith grabbed a tall measuring jug and filled it with a quarter of water. “Let’s get those a home.”

“Oh right.” Tifa carefully placed the stems in the jug once Aerith placed it on the table. As she situated the flowers, she paused and furrowed her brow. “Wait, what’s this?”

Tifa plucked a small envelope nestled within the flowers. She missed it before, just as she missed Aerith biting back a grin while Tifa cracked it open.

Inside was a printout of an email, confirming a two-week stay at one of the Mt. Nibel lodgings for December. Tifa’s eyes scanned the text until she came across the image of the rental cabin. Her jaw dropped.

“So,” Aerith said, “I was looking up cabins in the mountains after you told me about the one you and your family had. I couldn’t figure out which one was yours, but thankfully your parents swung by my shop before they came here today. I asked them about it and they were excited about me… well, about _us_ going up to visit. So I booked it and am going to use the money my Dad sent, because hey, it’s going towards a roof over my head, so why not. Zack helped with printing the email confirmation and that’s why I was running late to the party and I’d love it if we could—”

The paper and envelope floated to the floor. Two steps was all it took. Close enough to notice her wide hopeful gaze, to hear the hitch in her breath.

“Yes,” Tifa whispered as she cupped Aerith’s face and leaned in. “A million times yes.”

No matter how many times she imagined that exact moment, nothing prepared Tifa for the soft, gentle quality imbued within that kiss. Something simple, yet spoke louder than any words she had to offer. Tifa lingered there, submerged in Aerith’s lip for as long as her lungs allowed her. She basked in the subtleties—how Aerith’s eyelashes tickled her cheek, how they eased ever-so-slightly deeper into one another, how their heartbeats thrummed out of sync.

When they broke the kiss, much to Tifa’s dismay, she wondered how she ever functioned without the lovely woman before her.

“Sorry,” Tifa managed to cough up, “I got a little… excited.” She poked her tongue out to moisten her lips. “Not too much?”

Aerith snickered and grinned. “Oh, Tifa, how could I ever say no to you?”

“So does that mean—”

“Come here, you big dope—” Aerith latched onto her suspenders and jerked her closer. “—and kiss your girlfriend.”

Their lips crushed together. A new sentiment sparked between them—something more eager and hungry, yet tender all the same. Tifa threaded fingers through her hair while Aerith snaked her arms around Tifa’s form. Their bodies met and their lips parted. Tiny coos left Aerith with each lick and nibble, enough to rocket Tifa’s heart out of her chest and into a new plane of existence.

Before it did, however, a final coherent thought blipped and Tifa pulled back.

“Wait.” She blinked. “We’re _girlfriends_ now? Like, for real? Officially?”

Again Aerith cackled. “We both just asked each other out, right? We don’t need a date to figure things out. I like you. You like me. Might as well top it with a bow. Is that okay?”

Tifa sighed and rested her forehead against Aerith’s. “Yeah. It’s more than okay.” She nuzzled into Aerith’s face, lips brushing over hers. “It’s perfect.”

Aerith bumped into the table as Tifa enveloped her with both her arms and lips. She closed her eyes, savoring each breath with her. The world blurred until nothing but Aerith remained and her soft lips and wispy hair and decadent sounds and wiggling body and—

“Geez, what’s the hold up with the mac and cheese? Biggs said you’d be a second and _whoa_!”

Tifa jerked back and froze. Aerith whimpered, yet stayed put.

As for Yuffie, she stood there, hands raised and palms open.

“Uh… hey?” Tifa said, albeit lacking in confidence. “How’s it going?”

Yuffie blinked. “So… yeah, that’s _not_ getting mac and cheese.”

“It’s getting _something,_ ” Aerith snickered.

Tifa playfully swatted her away. “Oh shush, you.”

Yuffie clapped her hands. “Yeah, I’ll just… leave you two be or something. Can I grab the mac and cheese, though? Jessie and a gang of kids are about to have a meltdown if that’s not restocked.”

“Oh, yeah.” Tifa stepped back and gestured to the pan on the table. “It’s right here.”

Yuffie looked at, then back to Tifa. “Right where you two were?”

Tifa smacked her face and Aerith snickered. “Look, it’s fine. We didn’t… doing anything with it.”

“Uh-huh….”

“Here.” Tifa grabbed and passed the catering pan to Yuffie. “Bring that out. I’ll be out with the pies in a bit.”

“What’s that in Tifa time, like an hour?”

“I don’t know! Soon! Just—” Tifa flailed at her. “—go!”

Yuffie snorted. “Yup, got it, boss.”

Tifa sighed as Yuffie left the kitchen. “Ugh, teenagers.”

Aerith poked her nose. “Could’ve been worse!”

“Yeah, you’re right. It could’ve been—”

“Hey, Biggs!” Yuffie’s yell carried from the dining area. “Got the mac and cheese! Tifa was too busy smooching that flower girl to bring it out!”

Tifa paled and froze.

What sounded like a herd of wild animals stampeding towards the kitchen was, in fact, Jessie and Biggs darting in, pushing each other out of the way to approach Tifa first.

“Is it true!?” Jessie shrieked.

“Who kissed who first?!” Biggs gushed out, breathless.

“Did you kiss before?!”

“Wait, are those _flowers_?!”

“Are they dating flowers?!”

“Jessie, that’s not a thing—”

“Well, it could be and you’d owe me five hundred gil!”

“Wait,” Aerith said, barely stifling her amusement, “what is this all about?”

Tifa buried her flaming hot face in her hands and groaned. “They had a bet since you opened your shop about which one of us would make the first move.”

“Are you serious?”

Tifa nodded and she suspected Biggs and Jessie did the same.

Peeking through her fingers, she caught Aerith grinning and rubbing her hands. “Ooo, so who won?”

Tifa shot her a glare. “What?!”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out!” Jessie insisted “If you got her flowers, then clearly that means—”

“But if _Tifa_ smooched first,” Biggs said, “then the flowers don’t matter!”

Jessie jabbed two fingers into Biggs’ chest. “For all we know, Aerith _asked_ first and _then_ Tifa smooched—”

“Smooching is a bigger move than flowers!”

“Says who?!”

“Says me!”

“We didn’t agree on those terms! It was who made the first move, not smooch!”

“A smooch is a move and a damn good one, too!”

“Oh my god,” Tifa muttered, “I am banning the word smooch in this place.”

“Well,” Aerith gently butted in, a hint of mischievous delight in her voice, “depending on how you define a first move, it could’ve dated back before today.”

Jessie and Biggs stared with ajar lips. Tifa was tempted to storm out the back door and hide in the dumpster.

“Wait, _wait_?!” they both yelled together.

“What happened?!” Jessie asked.

“Was there smooching then, too?” Biggs added.

Aerith wiggled and glanced at Tifa. “I mean, there was _almost_ —”

“Almost!? Who started?!”

“I’m just going to grab these—” Tifa collected the now cooled pies and maneuvered around the other. “—and bring them out to the buffet… and just pretend none of this happened back here.”

“Oh, come on!” Aerith borderline skipped behind her. “This is kind of fun! Who do _you_ think made the first move between us, hmm?”

“Uh….” Tifa tried not to trip over her own feet as she entered the dining area. “I don’t know? Does it even matter?”

“Probably not.” Aerith looked to Jessie and Biggs scurrying behind them. “So what’s in it for us if one of you wins this bet?”

“I’ll split the gil with you!” Biggs said.

“I’ll get you front row tickets to my first show!” Jessie countered.

Biggs lost several inches in height. “I thought you were doing that for us, anyways?”

Jessie narrowed her gaze onto him. “ _And_ VIP passes.”

“Oooo!” Aerith clapped her hands. “Sold! So to set the record straight, it was _definitely_ me who made the first move.”

Tifa almost fell into the pies she carefully added to the buffet.

“What?!” Biggs exclaimed, ignoring the others who ceased their conversations to watch their commotion. “That’s cheating!”

Jessie cackled and tented her fingers. “Ah, sweet victory! Pay up! Mama needs a new pair of shoes!”

“No no no! Hold up.” Biggs pointed at Aerith. “What even happened?”

Aerith wiggled in place and grinned. “Well, I walked Tifa home on Halloween and tried to kiss her goodbye and—”

“How do _we_ know that?! You could just be making that up.”

“Actually,” Wedge said while passing them, “after locking up, we did run into Aerith and she asked Tifa if… uh….” He smiled nervously while Tifa shot daggers through him with her stare. “Yeah, but I wasn’t there for the kissy stuff, so beats me!”

“That’s proof enough for me,” Jessie said as Wedge scurried away. “So that’ll be five hundred gil, good sir.”

“You know,” Tifa said, standing beside Aerith and crossing her arms, “the week before _that_ , I stopped by your shop to give you that gift.”

Jessie blinked. “What gift?”

“Oh right!” Aerith tugged on the silk scarf. “That was super sweet of you. Still love it!”

“A- _ha_!” Biggs snapped his fingers. “I knew it! _That_ _’s_ why you snuck out for five minutes!”

“But it was also kind of rushed,” Aerith said.

“Yeah,” Tifa sighed out. “Not really how I wanted that to play out.”

Biggs groaned. “Will you two make up your minds?!”

Aerith shrugged. “I don’t know, it’s hard to say.”

“And then the funniest thing happened,” Tifa said. “I went to ask Aerith out on a date….”

“And I was literally going to do the same thing when we went into the kitchen.” Aerith giggled. “We got some good timing!”

“I’ll say.” Tifa shrugged and smirked at Jessie and Biggs. “And if you two never specified what exactly constituted as a first move, then I guess it’s a draw.”

Both Jessie and Biggs opened their mouths multiple times and failed to utter more than fragments of words.

“But—”

“Also,” Tifa added, “weren’t you the one who was so insistent that we go on a date, Biggs? Well, here you go. We both asked each other out. Case closed.”

Biggs heaved out a sigh and tossed his hands up. “Oh, _fine_! At least I don’t lose any money.”

“Eh, it was never about the money.” Jessie elbowed his ribs. “I just like messing with you.” She spun around and waved at the small crowd they garnered. “Hey, everyone! The bet’s off. Tifa said so.”

Sighs swept through the tavern. People shook their heads and stashed their wallets away before returning to their food and previous talks.

As Biggs grabbed himself a slice of pie and Jessie chased the kids for already devouring two-thirds of the macaroni and cheese, Tifa relaxed and looked to Aerith. “Sorry about that.”

“What’s there to be sorry about?” Aerith said with a smile. “If anything, _we_ _’re_ the real winners.”

“You think so?”

Aerith hummed and bumped shoulders with her. “Get to spend a day with my girlfriend and some cows? What’s not to love?”

Tifa chuckled and leaned into Aerith. “And I can’t believe you found the old cabin…. Geez, I’ll need someone to cover my shift here. I haven’t had time off since… wow, I don’t think I _ever_ had.”

“Is that okay?”

“A couple weeks in the middle of nowhere with you for the holidays? It’s more than I ever dreamed of.”

“Same here.” Aerith tugged on her arm. “Come on, let’s grab some food. I’m starving!”

Tifa stayed by Aerith as they moved down the buffet, filling their plates and chatting with locals in passing. They teased Zack, who was still finishing his first helping, albeit slowly. Cloud shuffled over to Tifa as Aerith and Zack debated who between them could eat a whole pie faster; he showed her pictures of his night with Zack on Halloween, ranging from their trek to Rocket Town to the haunted house to chilling at Zack’s apartment. With a hint of a smirk, Tifa leaned in and whispered to Cloud of her new plans with Aerith come December. He smiled back and lifted a hand. Tifa didn’t hesitate to high-five.

Eventually, Wedge made his way to the four of them. Like a broken record, Zack gushed about all the delicious food, even asking if he could bring some leftovers home from the party. Yuffie bounced into view and proclaimed she’d fight him for said leftovers. Tifa laughed over their mock arm-wrestling match, only to laugh harder when Zack finally dropped the damn plate of food.

Jessie sighed and shook her head, muttering something about how she couldn’t take her friends anywhere. She beckoned for Biggs to clean up the mess, claiming she was too busy eating the last bowl of macaroni and cheese to do anything else. He complied and grabbed a broom and dustpan to sweep up the broken plate and uneaten food.

“Oh, look at you all!” Tifa’s mother exclaimed from her seat at the bar. “It’s like just yesterday you were all hanging out here after school. Give me a second, let me find my phone and we can grab a picture. Don’t know when we’ll get another chance!”

Tifa shoveled in one last bite of coleslaw before she put her plate down. The others cheered, already squeezing together for silly poses: Jessie jumped into Biggs’ arms like a damsel in distress; Cloud and Wedge held rabbit ears over each other’s heads; Yuffie slid in the front and lounged with a bent knee and elbow propping her up. As for Tifa, she wiggled into the middle and flexed an arm with a thumbs up.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Aerith and Zack shuffling away. And it seemed she wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“Aerith, sweetie!” her mother called out. “What are you doing?”

Aerith blinked. “But I thought it was a Seventh Heaven only thing?”

“Nonsense! You’re family now, aren’t you? Get back in there! You too, Zack!”

Tifa beckoned for them, as did the others. Once they rejoined the group, everyone cheered and made room for them. Zack joined the floor with Yuffie, making finger guns at the camera. As for Aerith, she nestled into Tifa, rolled up a sleeve, and mimicked her stance. The lack of muscles made Aerith pout, then giggle. Same with Tifa.

“Come here, cutie,” Tifa purred, wrapping a free arm around Aerith to keep her close.

Aerith fit against her like a missing puzzle piece, head nestled in the nook of Tifa’s neck. Green eyes flitted up to hers. She winked and stuck out her tongue before looking back to the camera.

“Alright, everyone!” Tifa’s mother lifted her phone. “Smile!”

Except Tifa already was. So long as Aerith, her girlfriend— _holy crap, we_ _’re girlfriends!_ —was next to her, Tifa found no reason to stop smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that wraps up not only this fic, but my contributions for Aerti Week 2020!!! I cannot thank all of you enough for the tremendous support and patience 💕💕💕💕💕 I hope everyone enjoyed this silly fluffy fic. I swear it was supposed to be 3k tops and then... uh... well, here we are!! Again, if you've made it this far - THANK YOU! 🥰


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